Health Education and Special Projects

Substance Abuse & Rehabilitation Project

Although this project is in infancy, it gained momentum in the year 2003 when the Department carried out an exclusive survey to analyze the extent of substance abuse in society. A comprehensive three-year plan was laid to completely eradicate the use of substance abuse from the society. And to rehabilitate the current user through different de-addiction camps, NGOs, etc. Schools in our community hold the priority list and we have already begun our action against abuse by organizing meetings, awareness programs, health talks, etc.

Health Education and Media Project

Health awareness in our community has improved in many folds with the inception of this project in mid eighties. Each year health education and media unit of the Department has been conducting various health awareness programs in the settlements, schools and monasteries, on the basis of important topics, to improve the overall health knowledge of the community through publication of posters, newsletters and pamphlets in Tibetan and English. It has also produced two films on Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS for those who can’t read and understand better through visual mode. These materials are distributed free of cost in settlements, schools and monasteries. The translation of “Where There is No Doctor” has been very successful in generating awareness and useful in dealing with health hazards in remote places where we couldn’t provide doctors on a daily basis.

An important aspect of this program is to continue developing appropriate media for health education. Materials from WHO and other organizations, which include various pamphlets, books, comics, posters and films are translated into Tibetan and adapted for use in our community. In addition, we prepare our own health information systems from time to time and in the event of any outbreak.

Health Data Program

Understanding the importance of comparing figures while working for the eradication, controlling and improvement of health and health care system, our data recording and analysis program was launched in 1990 as an introductory phase. Later the staff were specifically trained and full-scale data collection was implemented in 1994. The first analyzed report of the community-based Health Information System (HIS) was released in the form of a book called “The Demographic and Health Surveillance of the Tibetan Refugee Population in India” in 1998. This book forms the basis of any comparison towards the success and failure of projects, plans and programs in health sector. And works as a guiding stick while innovating, implementing and revising any programs, projects and plans to fight against health problems of the community.

Disabled and Special Needs Project

With the seed money being donated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Department initiated a special unit called “Ngoenga School for Tibetan Children with Special Needs” located in Dehradun for treatment and rehabilitation of Tibetan children with special needs, on 8th March 2000. At present there are 50 students with 30 teaching and non-teaching staff headed by a Director. The aim of the project is to provide equal opportunity to learn, to grow and to build a suitable life for them.

For the special needs people staying back in settlements, we have introduced Rehabilitation Committees program to take care of them as per the guidelines of the Health Department. The Health Department is also providing monthly stipends and aid and appliances allowances to the disabled people whose family background is poor. We are also assisting prosthetic medical allowances to Tibetans whose hands and feet have been deformed by frostbite while crossing the Tibet-Nepal border.

Under the guidelines issued by the Kashag (Apex Executive Body), the Central Poverty Alleviation Committee has conducted an intensive survey on poor and needy among the exile Tibetan Community being classified under four categories to be looked after by the three concerned Departments. The poverty survey committee’s report, which was later reviewed by the ATPD review committee, has so far identified 450 cases to be taken care of by the Health Department. As per the Kashag’s policy and guidelines, the Department of Health is providing monthly stipend and bearing all the medical expenses of all the needy and poor Tibetan people identified by the Central Poverty Alleviation Committee.

Emergency Medical Relief Program

One of the key programs being undertaken by the Department of Health, CTA, is emergency medical relief and treatment in referral hospitals in various parts of the country. Our hospital services are limited to primary health care facility as we cannot provide advanced medical facilities in our settlement hospitals due to lack of qualified and duly skilled staff and also because of financial constraints. We have been supporting patients for advanced treatment in other hospitals that cover major surgeries and other allied health services, which are currently not available in our settlement hospitals.

These can be classified into two categories: emergency medical relief for the staff members of Central Tibetan Administration who make a monthly contribution of 1% of their monthly gross salary towards CTA medical fund.

The other category is the poorest of the poor who are selected and duly registered by the three concerned CTA Departments, i.e. Department of Home, Education and Health. We look after the health of the poorest of the poor category and bear cent percent of their medical cost including medical services, surgery and other operational cost. As for the remaining category of patients, the percentage of DoH medical relief assistance is based primarily on the scrutiny and recommendation of the settlement heads, camp leaders and the DoH hospital Executive Secretaries of various settlements.