DHARAMSHALA: The Mother and Child Health Division of the Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Health organised a workshop on reproductive health in Dharamsala from 27 to 30 May.

The workshop is aimed at improving the working knowledge of health workers and nurses to tackle various issues affecting the health of women and children.

Sixteen health workers and nurses from different Tibetan settlements in India, and two doctors from Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute) participated in the workshop.

At the opening ceremony, Health Secretary Sonam Choephel Shosur explained about the importance of improving the capacity of the health staff on reproductive health. He requested the participants to disseminate the expertise gained during the workshop in their respective settlements.

The resource persons included Dr Pradeep Makkar from Ballaji hospital, Dr Neelam Mahajan from Tanda government hospital and Dr Tenzin Dechen from Primary Health Center, Bir.  Keeping into consideration the importance of the traditional system of Tibetan medicine in promoting the wellbeing of mothers and children, Dr. Jamyang Dolma from MenTseeKhang was invited to speak about reproductive health from the perspectives of the Tibetan medicine. Various topics related to reproductive health were discussed and explained at the workshop, which included lectures and presentation on safe delivery, antenatal and postnatal care, complications of pregnancy, reproductive cancers, common neonatal illnesses and their management.

Two DOH staff, Trinley Palmo and Ngawang Tenzin, coordinated this workshop. They talked about social determinants of women’s health, reproductive health education and guidelines of the DOH’s mother and child health program respectively during the workshop

“We are positive that this reproductive health workshop will play an important role in the overall wellbeing and empowerment of Tibetan women along with healthy development of their children,” said an official of the health department.