Healthcare Provision is deeply rooted in our history as TVP’s first project was building a medical clinic in Tamdin’s village after the death of his father. Since then, TVP has built three clinics in partnership with local government and communities and has supported them from 2001 to 2008, including a mobile medical service that benefited 8,000 people annually. Today, TVP continues these efforts by collaborating with other NGOs in the healthcare field, providing healthcare education and training materials and supplies, and by supporting income generation activities in communities with the goal of promoting self-sufficiency and decreasing dependency on donations. For example, the Chideshol Medical Clinic is making herbal pills and has built a greenhouse to improve nutrition and to generate income through the sale of surplus vegetables.
Despite healthcare efforts being made, most rural Tibetans still face enormous challenges due to lack of accessibility and affordability of basic healthcare. Common health problems include tuberculosis, epilepsy, arthritis, chronic respiratory infection, rickets, malnutrition, diarrhea, and other gastro-intestinal problems. In addition, many villagers sustain injuries while working on farms or while taking care of animals that require immediate medical attention.