DHARAMSHALA: Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay today addressed the 10th anniversary and national conference of the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine (CCTM) being held at the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute here.

Over 350 Tibetan medicine practitioners from the four major institutes of Tibetan medicine, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, Chagpori Tibetan Medical Institute, the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ladakh and the Central University of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, are participating in the conference.

Addressing the conference, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay said the Council of Tibetan Medicine was formed in 2004 during the previous Kashag led by Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche.

He said the Tibetan medical system (Sowa Rigpa) should be preserved as it is a distinct part of Tibetan culture and tradition. The positive effects of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan medical practices for mental happiness is well-documented, he said.

“The US National Institute of Health (NIH) recently invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a discussion on mental health. The NIH is one of the most widely respected health organisations in the world and the fact that they invited His Holiness to talk about mental health speaks volumes about the effects of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan medicine on mental health,” Sikyong said.

Extending full support and co-operation of the Kashag towards its programmes, Sikyong Dr Sangay lauded the efforts of the council for the progress made in Tibetan medicine till date. At the same time, he underscored the need to further develop the Tibetan medical system to make the medicine more effective.

Sikyong also talked about the need to effectively control the production of Tibetan medicines and the registration of Tibetan medical practitioners to preserve the purity of Tibetan medicines.

Bapa Kalsang Gyaltsen, the representative of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, also spoke at the inaugural session. He called on the council to assess the standard of Tibetan medical system as compared to mainstream Indian Ayurvedic science.

He also called for the need to exert more effort to gain formal recognition of the council from the Indian government.

The Central Council of Tibetan Medicine was established in 2004 after a resolution passed by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in 2003. It is a statutory body, founded during the first general body meeting of Tibetan medical practitioners, organised by the Department of Health, with the aim of preserving and promoting the Tibetan medical system.