In this activity report, I would like to introduce Dr. Daochan, a doctor at Oudomxay Hospital, where our Laos project is usually active. Dr.Daochan, who has been working with Japan Heart on a regular basis is now treating patients with Japan Heart as an attending physician since we do not have any Japanese doctors. We interviewed him to introduce you to a doctor who is enthusiastic about his work.
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Q1: Please introduce yourself.
A: My name is Dr Daochan. I work as the director of internal medicine at Oudomxay Hospital.
Q2: What is your role with Japan Heart?
A: We perform thyroid screenings and do preliminary tests according to the list of patient information and submit the results to Japan Heart. I also work with Japan Heart on internal medicine with Japanese doctors.
Q3: How much did you know about thyroid disease before working with Japan Heart?
A: I studied as an internist, so I knew and learned the basics of thyroid disease, such as how to treat hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, but I had never focused on learning about thyroid disease.
Q4: How long have you been working with Japan Heart and what have you learned through your activities?
A: It has been two years so far, but I have learned a lot and expanded my abilities. I have been able to acquire the following skills:
1.With the use of an ultrasound machine, it is now possible for me to distinguish between a low-risk and a high-risk malignant thyroid tumour.
2.I can use ultrasound to identify the condition of a thyroid tumour and determine whether surgery is necessary or not.
3.I learned about the side effects of thyroid surgery and on top of that, I came to be able to tell whether a surgery would be easy or not.
4.It is now possible for me to be able to provide better medical care for patients suffering with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. In particular, I was able to learn how long a course of medication should be, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
5.I can now use ultrasound to test patients for thyroid disease
Q5: What kind of medical activities do you want to do with Japan Heart in the future?
A: Oudomxay has many patients with thyroid disease. I would like to work together with Japan Heart to figure out why so many people are affected, the causes and possible countermeasures.
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It is thanks to Dr Daochan that the activities in Oudomzay are still continuing to grow even now when doctors cannot be dispatched from Japan. He is a doctor who has been actively trying to advance his knowledge and skills by conducting medical examinations with Japanese doctors and he has the complete trust of Japan Heart’s staff. With the strong cooperation of Dr Daochan, I would like to continue to work our hardest at Oudomxay Hospital.
Interviewer: Big (Japan Heart Laos, domestic public relations officer)
Japanese translation: Urara Hirata (Japan Heart Lao intern, international public relations)
Edited by: Tomoya Sugiyama (Japan Heart Laos Business Representative)
English Translation: Japan Heart Cambodia PR