In Tibet Sera Jey Monastery do not have a specific health department to look after health care needs of the monks. Due to changing time and needs of the situation, with advice, guidance and seed money donation of Rs 50000/- from His Holiness the Dalai Lama this committee was established in the year 1989. It is run by four administrators directly elected by the representatives of the general body of monks for three years' voluntary service and is headed by the Abbot of Sera Jey Monastery. It caters to the health care needs of over 4500 monks in Sera Jey Monastery apart from local Indians and lay Tibetans in the settlement. It runs Tibetan Medicine, Allopathic and Dental clinics. The services at the clinics are offered free of charge to all the monks and 50 percent concession for lay people. It is one of the backbones of the monastery.
Our Tibetan Medicine clinic is visited by Tibetans and Indians from all parts of India. It is headed by one of the most renowned Tibetan doctors in India. Apart from medication this clinic provides the facilities of acupuncture and cupping.
The Allopathic clinic is headed by an experienced Doctor. It consists of seven health workers with considerable experience and provides voluntary service for the committee.
The Dental clinic was run by dental therapist, Geshe Dhondup Gyaltsen with 16 years' experience and his assistance Thupten Choepel.
As prevention is better than cure, the committee conducts regular vaccination for all the monks for different kinds of communicable diseases.
It provides complete medication to monks who suffer from Tuberculosis. Special diets and recreational facilities are also part of the programme.
The committee regularly conducts health camps by inviting health specialists from reputed hospitals and institutes to provide guidance on health awareness for the monks.
Sera Jhe Health Care Committee also looks after the drinking water needs and environmental care of the monastery. It supplies free drinking water to more than 4500 monks and maintains cleanliness of the monastery compound. We often invite resource persons to guide the monks on environmental care and waste management.
A lake in the settlement called Compassionate Lake is maintained by the committee. This lake is specifically looked after under the animal life saving and liberation project. The committee regularly organizes lake blessing ceremony during which thousands of lives that survive in the lake are released. The local people also liberate fish in the lake whenever they wish to. To prevent fishing, four staff are specifically hired to look after the lake. Under this project the committee also liberates cows from slaughter houses in the market and releases them in animal sanctuary.
Emergency medical relief fund and monks' sponsorship programme are the two programmes that directly benefit the individual monks who face financial crunch. These funds are used to cover their emergency medical expenditure, to cover expenses for boarding, educational materials, clothing and as token stipend.
Sera Jhe Health Care Committee is solely dependent on foreign aids and assistance for its funds. It is always working and striving hard towards improvement in its charitable works to offer maximum benefit all the individuals covered by its programmes.
