COPE was started in 1997 as an initiative of
POWER International with the Ministry of Health of the Government of Lao PDR and several international non-government organizations. COPE is now a local not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) and provincial rehabilitation centres to provide access to orthotic/prosthetic devices and rehabilitation services, including Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.
COPE has four major roles:
- To act as a portal for skills development and training, upgrading clinical skills in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and P&O within the government rehabilitation services and extending to management and administrative skills to ensure that the COPE develops capacity as a local organisation.
- To support expenses of patients who are unable to pay for treatment and associated costs as well as upgrading facilities at the five centres currently supported by COPE.
- To act as an interface between the donor community and the Lao Government. International donors require a recognised standard of auditing and financial accountability for proposals to be successfully accepted and managed.
- To facilitate referral between the network of clinical services to provide comprehensive treatment of people living with mobility impairments, ensuring people with disabilities in Lao PDR will have access to the rehabilitation services that can improve their ability to participate in their communities.
The long-term vision of COPE is to become a locally-staffed organization that covers the cost of mobility devices and rehabilitation for people in Lao PDR who cannot afford it.
While it takes a long time to train staff and develop infrastructure for quality services, we are making great steps to achieving these goals. The Prosthetic and Orthodic unit is now all locally staffed by well-trained technicians, an international Physiotherapy Mentor is currently training physiotherapy staff for the Physiotherapy unit and an international Occupational Therapist is now working with us to develop the paediatric and adult occupational therapy departments. (
http://www.copelaos.org/)
Every year, COPE has a Fundraiser.
A group of us took in the fun, festivities, and food at the annual event!
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| Jon making a contribution |
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| Prosthetic legs where scattered all over the event, used as donation boxes!! |
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| Marla, Carol, and I enjoying the music! |
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| Two colleagues - Patrick and Dirk...the most presentable photo of the evening for these two! |
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| Poor Mark couldn't even enjoy his own sausage sizzle |
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| Dirk |
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| Patrick - I think he forgot that Movember is over.... |
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| Two grade 9's selling beer - only in Lao!! |
A great night of food, fun, and friends. As I was leaving, I was treated to a sight of the Lunar Eclipse
