Vietnam accompanies Laos to promote digital transformation

According to a VNA reporter in Vientiane, in recent years, digital transformation in Laos has been taking place strongly, becoming one of the government's key priorities in the journey to modernize the management apparatus, improve the quality of public services and develop the digital economy .

In that process, Star Telecom (Unitel) - a symbol of cooperation between Laos and Vietnam - has emerged as one of the important pillars, contributing to shaping the infrastructure and platforms serving digital government , digital economy and digital society.

Initially, when operating as a telecommunications network operator, Unitel quickly identified the trend of world telecommunications corporations shifting to a technology enterprise model.

The change in strategic thinking helps Unitel not only stop at providing telephone and Internet signals, but also move towards building national digital infrastructure such as international transmission systems, standard data centers, cloud computing and infrastructure serving government business platforms.

From this infrastructure foundation, Unitel has developed a series of large-scale digital products and solutions from healthcare, education, electricity, tourism to digital finance and public services, directly serving millions of people and businesses.

In the healthcare sector, the Lao Health application and the HIS hospital management system developed by Unitel have been deployed in many hospitals, including the Lao People's Army Central Hospital 103 and several other military hospitals. Medical examination and treatment processes are digitized, helping to reduce paperwork and optimize time.

Ms. Phoutlady Nounsivong - a resident of Vientiane - said that making an appointment is now extremely convenient, sometimes only needing to do it in the morning and by early afternoon can connect online with a doctor. People can talk directly with medical staff right on the application, understand their medical condition and receive timely advice, thereby significantly saving travel time.

Sharing with VNA reporters in Laos, Colonel - Doctor Phonpaserth Souvannalad - Deputy Director of Central Hospital 103 - assessed the Lao Health application as one of the most modern platforms that Unitel has deployed, especially useful for people in remote areas, while contributing to promoting the one-stop hospital model in Laos.

Besides healthcare, education is also one of the fastest digital transformation sectors in Laos. The Laos EDU platform, piloted in nearly 300 schools, has helped to completely digitize the admissions process, student management, attendance, learning tracking, and connection between schools and families and parents.

At the Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese Bilingual School in the capital Vientiane, teacher Bounsavath Vankham said that previously the school had to manage information using paper documents, which was time-consuming and prone to errors.

Since the system went into operation, teachers have almost no need to use paper, all data is fully updated and parents can monitor their children's learning situation right on their phones.

Notifications of absences, academic results and extracurricular activities are all displayed transparently, helping the connection between family and school become closer and more effective.

Not only health and education, many other essential sectors are also being strongly digitized. The MyEDL application in the electricity industry allows more than 120,000 households to track electricity indexes, bills and payments online, significantly reducing pressure on the electricity industry and increasing service transparency.

Meanwhile, the Laos Travel platform is supporting hundreds of tourism businesses to connect hotels, travel agencies and transportation on the same system, contributing to promoting the image of Laos and improving the business efficiency of the tourism industry.

Solutions in the logistics field such as warehouse management, bill of lading tracking or connecting import-export businesses are also being developed by Unitel, facilitating faster movement of goods, cash flow and information throughout the economy.

The digital financial ecosystem is also expanding thanks to the UMoney e-wallet, which has a rapidly increasing number of regular users every year. People can pay for everything from hospital fees, electricity bills, school fees, travel fees to entertainment services with just a few taps on their phones, contributing to forming the habit of using digital services in daily life.

At the same time, social service applications such as security cameras, smart homes, LaoTV online television or public service portals are also creating clear changes in urban life and state management in Laos.

It is not difficult to see that Unitel's digital platforms are connected and share data with each other, contributing to the formation of Laos' national digital ecosystem - where all activities from education, healthcare, payments, tourism to logistics or public services can operate seamlessly. This helps Laos shorten the digital transformation roadmap by many years compared to many other countries.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh - Deputy General Director of Star Telecom Company - affirmed that Unitel not only invests in telecommunications infrastructure but also plays the role of a strategic partner of the Lao Government in building a digital government, digital economy and digital society.

Laos' digital transformation journey, accompanied by Vietnamese experts and businesses, is a clear demonstration of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam - Laos and Laos - Vietnam.

In the context of the world entering the digital age, close cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the field of information technology and telecommunications has created a solid foundation for the two countries to move forward together.

Vietnam not only brings technology to Laos but also accompanies in building the digital future of the “Land of a Million Elephants” – a modern, efficient future, leaving no one behind and accompanying Vietnam to develop the country together./.

Comment (0)