Gyalwang Karmapa visits the medical facility at the Monlam Pavilion

4 March, 2012
 

 
 

Gyalwang Karmapa visited the facility briefly after leading Session Two.  He inspected the different sections, divided by screens of white cloth, and spoke to the staff.

In previous years this facility for all those attending Monlam was located at the Nyingma Monastery, but this year, because there was no room there, it has been moved to a sectioned-off area of the huge open-space ground floor of the new Kagyu Monlam building, adjacent to the Monlam stage.

Chamsing Ngodup Palzom is in overall charge of the clinic,  which  provides both allopathic and traditional Tibetan medicine, blood tests for diabetes and  blood-pressure monitoring.  It is staffed by two Tibetan doctors, four Western medicine practitioners and two nurses who dispense medicine.

At the moment between 250 – 300 patients are seen daily.  Common problems linked to the environment in Bodhgaya are  coughs, colds and diarrhoea.  In addition, there are those with chronic illnesses such as  stomach ulcers, kidney problems, gallbladder disease and hypertension.  Courses of Tibetan medicine are  offered free of charge  and patients are  given  one or two months supply of medicine to take away, depending on their illness. The clinic also runs a twenty-four hour emergency service;  Chamsing gave the example of an elderly Tibetan who suffered a stroke, was taken to hospital in Gaya, and is now recovering.  The clinic will cover his medical expenses.

For the fifth year in succession, the medical facilities and medicines have been sponsored by Malaysian  Lu Da-Tin who said,

“I am so grateful for this opportunity to make a contribution. The merit is dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings and for the flourishing of the Karmapa’s activities.”

After visiting the medical facility, His Holiness went to see the appliqué thangka exhibition.

 

Report by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Karma Lecho, Liao Guo Ming