On 24 August 2023, Mrs. Thippawan Supamitkitja, Ambassador of Thailand to Senegal, along with Ms. Papada Pakdethanakul, Second Secretary, and staff from the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar, took part in the Mobile Medical Humanitarian Missions and Public Health Service Program in Senegal at Louga Hospital, located 222 km. to the north-east of Dakar.

Mr. Abdallah Gueye, Director of Louga Hospital, together with Dr. Malick NDIAYE and Dr. Jordy Mandabrandja, Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctors from Fann Hospital in Dakar, who are also the doctors in charge of the Louga project, and the hospital executives welcomed the Embassy’s delegation and expressed their sincere gratitude to the Royal Thai government for the valuable contribution. The Embassy’s project has an important role in creating more access to medical care for Senegalese citizens in remote areas. Moreover, this project has developed ENT permanent doctors in hospitals outside Dakar through the knowledge exchange, which will sustainably strengthen public health services in Senegal.

On this occasion, Ambassador Thippawan expressed her congratulations on the success of the project, which is one of the key public health development cooperation between Thailand and Senegal, continued for more than 20 years. The Thai Ambassador highlighted the objectives of the project which aims to promote and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the mutual public health policy between Thailand and Senegal. This project has increased the opportunities for Senegalese people in remote areas to have more access to medical treatment, as well as promote a constructive role in Thai public health and humanitarian assistance. This mobile medical unit is one of the 6 activities under the collaboration between Fann Hospital and the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar in 2023, namely, in Fatick, Richard-Toll, Popenguine, Louga, Diourbel and Ziguinchor which can provide ENT medical treatment to more than 2,000 Senegalese in those six cities. The project has extended the benefits to not only the Senegalese patients, but also the capacity building for the ENT doctors, therefore the Royal Thai Government has the intention to continue strengthen the cordial relationship between Thailand and Senegal to better provide access to public health service for Senegalese in a wider area.

Ambassador Thippawan also gave an interview to Louga TV, the Louga’s local media channel.