Health Kalon Dr.Tsering Wangchuk concluded his first official visit to the Tibetan settlements and communities in Sikkim and West Bengal from 6-15 February, and returned to Gangchen Kyishong on 18 February.
Health Kalon visited Tibetans in Ravangla, Rumtek, Gangtok, Pagong, Chungthang, Mushithang, Tsading, Lachung and Mangan in Sikkim, and Kalimpong, Lamahatta, Darjeeling, Pokriabong,Sonada, Kurseong, and Salugara in West Bengal.
During the visit, Health Kalon met with community leaders and the public and talked about the health department and its major health programs like Mother and Child Health (MCH), prevention and treatment of tuberculosis and HIV AIDS, mental health, Hepatitis B prevention, substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation and the Tibetan Medicare System (TMS) program. He also visited some poor households whereby he observed and inspected the health situation of the household, settlement offices, schools, Mentseekhang branch clinics, DOH’s health centers, Chakpori branch clinic, Tibetan Refugee Self Help center at Darjeeling and Namgyal Institute of Tibetology at Gangtok.
Health Kalon Dr.Tsering Wangchuk later visited Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim on 8 February 2015. Rumtek Monastery, also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is the seat of His Eminence the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Due to poor weather and time constraints, Kalon was unable to visit and meet Tibetan communities at Thanggu, Dongkung, Lhonag in East Sikkim.
During his visit to Sonada, Kalon met Heidi Trondsen of Shenpen Aid from Norway. Kalon greeted and thanked her and the Shenpen Aid for the funding support provided to the department by adopting DOH’s branch clinic of Sonada settlement.
Kalon also met with Director of Chakpori Sowarigpa Institute, Amchi Thinley Passang Trogawa. Amchi Passang and the board members appealed the Health Kalon to make Chakpori Tibetan Medical Institute (http://chagpori.org/index.html ) an autonomous institution under the Department of Health of the CTA. They also requested the Kalon to help send designated official personnel from the CTA to act as the Director of Chakpori Tibetan Medical Institute.
On 16-17 February, the Health Kalon visited P.S.R.I Hospital in New Delhi and had a meeting with the Secretary, Medical Council of India. He then attended a meeting on the TMS program with some health financing experts with regard to the TMS Program of the department.