DHARAMSHALA: The Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration, formally appointed Dr. Sonam Dhondup and Dr. (Ms) Jigme Kalsang as New Medical Officers of Tso-Jhe Khangsar Hospital, Bylakuppe and DVT Hospital, Oderyarpalya, Kollegal on 5 May and 11 March 2014 respectively.
Dr. Sonam Dhondup, a returnee of Tibetan Scholarship Program-USA this year, is a MPH graduate from Stony Brook University, USA. He had already worked as Medical officer of DTR Hospital, Mundgod and Tibetan Primary Health Center, Bir.
Dr. Jigme Kalsang is an MBBS graduate of Mulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. She will work with Medical officers of Tsojhe Khangsar Hospital at Bylakuppe initially to gain and share clinical experience and will join DVT Hospital from 1st June 2014.
The appointments came as a result of Health Department’s intensive outreach to Tibetan MBBS doctors and full support from the Kashag for strict implementation of CTA’s MBBS bond with selected Tibetan MBBS doctors to work under CTA health service for three years in return for reserved MBBS seats in India.
The Department of Health runs a network of 7 hospitals and 43 primary health care centers and clinics in India and Nepal. The DVT Hospital at Kollegal and the Tso-Jhe Khangsar Hospital at Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlements provide public health and medical care services to the Tibetan settlers and local tribal people from neighboring villages in Karnataka state.
Health Kalon congratulated them and expressed hope that they will serve the Tibetan people to the best of their ability. Health Kalon also recounted how he always encourage Tibetan students, who are currently studying MBBS, to serve in Tibetan hospitals. CTA Health Department has got seven Tibetan allopathic doctors now.
The Health Department still urgently need at least seven more Tibetan allopathic doctors in Hospitals and Health Centers in the various settlements, particularly one each at Miao, Odisha, Mainpat, Hunsur, Ladakh, Bhandara, and Mundgod.
At present, there are 18 Tibetan medical students and interns studying in Indian Medical colleges at Bikaner, Shimla, Kangra and Kolkata who had signed the MBBS bond of Central Tibetan Administration. They have promised to provide 3 years of service at hospitals and health centers in Tibetan settlements as per legal terms and conditions of the bond under the direction of the department of health after completion of their MBBS degree.
And there are eight Tibetan MBBS doctors (three from Mundgod, and one each from Manali, Kollegal, Sonada, Dharamsala and Nepal) who are yet to oblige with the legal terms and conditions of MBBS bond, to provide their services to the Tibetan community.
(Report filed by: Department of Health)
