Applications of GIS in Healthcare Planning of Lao PDR

Potential and capabilities of GIS in planning and decision-making is widely known as an experimental tool, but its existence in real-world application is yet to realize. GIS originated in the field of cartography and even at today it is mainly used as a tool for map production. Number of reasons could bring forward for this shortcoming. Limited real-world applications could be a significant one among them. This paper describe an attempt to use GIS technology in Lao PDR where a study team was involved in formulating a Master Plan for national healthcare system. A database was created for the whole country with spatial and descriptive data gathered from various sources. Attempt was made to demonstrate the potential of GIS by using the database for identifying healthcare status, distribution of resources, recognizing deprived areas and locating areas for future investments based on accessibility and social status. The approach justified the investment on a GIS system and introducing the system in the planning sector from grass-root level to central level.