Tibet Healthcare Project
Location: Yushu prefecture, Qinghai, China.
Mission Statement
Tibet is a vast area, equal in size to the whole of Europe, and is one of the poorest areas in the world; the majority of people cannot afford healthcare. The Tibet Healthcare Project’s aim is to improve the health and quality of life of impoverished people within the Yushu prefecture by providing access to free healthcare.
Background Information
In 2003 a meeting between UK optometrist Christian Dutton and Dr.Akong Tulku Rinponche, founder of Rokpa International, led to Dr.Dutton and Dr.Anya Adair volunteering their medical skills in Yushu, in the Chinese province of Qinghai. The poor working conditions they encountered there quickly brought to their attention the need for a permanent hospital building to work in; that hospital, entirely funded by Rokpa’s individual and corporate sponsors was built within two years and is now the base for the Tibet Healthcare Project. To date it has helped over 3500 people and is currently raising funds for Rokpa orphanage students to study optometry, dentistry and midwifery at university. With the help of the students, this project will become self-sufficient.
Activities of Organisation
Opticians
The Tibet Healthcare Project’s opticians provide basic eye examinations, eye medicine and glasses as required. They perform sponsored eye operations at the local hospital for pain relief and afflictions such as cataract and eye lid problems, and provide general advice on diet and eye protection.This work is achieved through the following initiatives: An annual team of western optometrists and ophthalmologists visits the hospital to volunteer.A local Tibetan ophthalmologist is sponsored to provide one clinic session per week.Students, who will work in the hospital upon qualification, are sponsored to study optometry at university. Rokpa medical students are trained in basic eye testing techniques.
Dentists
The Tibet Healthcare Project’s dentists have to date helped over 500 patients and provide access to a service generally unavailable on account of such poverty that people can’t even afford toothbrushes. The dentists provide basic dental/oral examinations and an oral health education program particularly aimed at children. The team also provides pain relief and extractions when required, as well as basic restorations, scaling and gum treatment and basic oral health products.This is achieved through initiatives such as an annual visit from a western dentist volunteer team, sponsoring native students to study dentistry at university against them working in the hospital upon qualification and training Rokpa medical students in basic dental techniques.
Midwives
Widespread poverty prevents access to the services of the local women’s hospital, as does the strong taboo surrounding women’s health issues and sex education. There is a high level of birth complications and an unnecessarily high level of prenatal and maternal deaths during and shortly after childbirth.The Tibet Healthcare Project provides antenatal care and advice, childbirth delivery, and postnatal care and advice. It also provides sex education and woman’s health education. This is achieved by sponsoring a full-time Tibetan midwife, sponsoring students to study midwifery and training Rokpa students in basic midwife skills.
Other projects
In addition to providing free healthcare in the disciplines of optometry, dentistry and midwifery, the Tibet Healthcare Project promotes road safety to reduce fatalities and tries to improve general health through changes in diet and exercise.
Consensus Community Perspective
The Tibet Healthcare Project reflects the Himalayan Consensus paradigm in its concern for improving the welfare and standard of living of indigenous people. Access their site here if you would like to sponsor a midwife, a dentist or a surgery.
Contact Information
Address:
For contacting Tibet Healthcare Project please see their website at
http://www.tibethealthcare.com/ or email mail@tibethealthcare.com
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