Buddhist medicine in occupied Tibet
BMJ 2004; 328 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.040274 (Published 01 February 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;328:040274
- Kieren Bong, junior house officer in surgery1
- 1Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
I was warmly received and presented with a hada (white silk scarf) on arriving at Lhasa's Gongkar airport. Two men helped me with my luggage, and soon we were on our way to the capital of this ancient Buddhist country. The 95 km journey from the airport to Lhasa gave us ample opportunity to get acquainted, and I saw some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. On arriving in Lhasa, I felt lightheaded and overwhelmed by the intensity of the sun. Two days later, when I was well acclimatised, we left for the monastery.
The former country of Tibet comprises three provinces of China (see www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html and www.tibet.com/glance.html)
Population--13.5m
Language--Tibetan and Mandarin
Capital--Lhasa
Currency--Yuan
Int Code--+86
Oral or intravenous
In Tibet's largest and best preserved monastery, the hospital is a small but organised community run by 14 Tibetan monks who are doctors. Two are highly experienced, each with 36 years' experience in medical practice; two are junior doctors in the making; one is an ultrasonographer; one is a radiologist; four are pharmacists; and four are doctors responsible for other less specialised work (such as fixation of intravenous cannulas). The hospital is equipped with an x ray machine, an ultrasound machine, an electrocardiograph, two sphignomanometers, and two stethoscopes. The short stay ward had four beds for monitoring patients with subacute problems; a treatment room for carrying out straight-forward procedures, such as replacement of dressings and tooth extractions; a pharmacy; a laundrette; and a shower room. Within the same compound there were two storage warehouses for herbs and other ingredients for making Tibetan natural herbal medicine.
In the summer, the hospital was …
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