On 4 July 2022, Mr. Wattanawit Gajaseni, Deputy Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with Mr. Panthep Saokosol, Deputy Governor of Khon Kaen Province, Mr. Sombat Pengprachan Consul-General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Khon Kaen, and Dr. Napaporn Singkhonkeaw, Director of Sirindhorn Hospital, Khon Kaen, presided over the Opening Ceremony for the Training Course on 3D Printing Upper Body Prosthetics and Assistive Devices at Sirindhorn Hospital, Khon Kaen. This training course is supported by the RoyalThai government under the Development Cooperation Project with Lao PDR on the Development of Upper Body Prosthetics Production Capacity Building to assist victims of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). The objective of this activity is to share and transfer Thailand’s innovation on the production of prosthetics with 3D printing technology for Lao PDR. Also, it is hoped that this activity will help the people in Lao PD who are in needs of upper body prosthesis and subsequently ensure their livelihoods will be improved. The training is organized for 6 participants from Lao PDR, who are working as orthotists and prosthetists at the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Vientiane.

This training course will take 5 weeks, starting from 4 July 2022 to 5 August 2022. The curricula was designed to develop their skills through the practical learning with people with disabilities with an aim to increase the participants’ experience through the hand-on approach. This training will be taught by experts from the “Thai Reach” Project which includes medical doctors, physical therapists, orthotists and prosthetists and 3D designers who have extensive experiences both Thailand and overseas.

This activity is a part of our concerted effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Lao PDR’s nationally adopted SDG18 on ‘Lives Safe from UXO’.