Page 68 - Proceedings of The Fifth Meeting of Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin

62

3. LAO PDR

3.1 Mr. Khamphio Savangphalikhanh
Hometown: Donxay Village, Vientiane Province
Ethnic group represented: Khamou
Years of practice: 10 years
Area of expertise: Physical examination, diagnose and
prescribe traditional herbal medicine
Previous award or recognition received: He was awarded for
his work by local and by Provincial Public Health Office,
Provincial Government, and Prime Minister

Educational background and work experiences: Mr.
Khamphio graduated from Faculty of Arts, Vietnam. He then
studied the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine from TCM
doctors for 4 years because he prefers traditional medicine to
western medicine. After that, he opened his traditional medicine
clinic in Donxay Village, Vientiane. He is renowned for his
traditional medicine practice, so even the patients from the neighbor country like Thailand
come for check up and get the treatment from him. Every day, there are many patients
going to his clinic to get both physical and mental treatment.
Knowledge transfer: He learned the indigenous
medicine knowledge from his ancestors and TCM
knowledge from TCM doctors. He wishes to
transfer everything that he learnt to his students.
Guru worship: -
Treatment process: First he will check up
patient’s body to diagnose health problem. For
example, for a diabetic patient, he will check the
color of his/her tongue to see if it turns white or
not as such disorder usually occurs in patients
suffering from diabetes for a long time. Then he
will prescribe herbal medicine for the patient. In case of other diseases, some patients may
stay at the clinic to get the treatment, massage, or sauna. Lastly, he will suggest how to
behave healthy at home. He will continue his treatment until the patient gets well.
Professional attitude: He is happy to see his patients become healthy again.
Showcase summary: He demonstrated how to examine the patients with joint pain,
diabetes mellitus, and insomnia. He also prescribed herbal medicine remedies for the
patients.