From the time His Holiness the Dalai Lama first met with TRAS members in 1979 and spoke to them about the importance of health as well as education, TRAS has been involved in many health-related projects. From 1988 to 1998 TRAS supported community health workers training at Delek Hospital in Dharamsala, helping to staff a small clinic in each of the Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan. As the standard of education for Tibetan children in India improved, the Tibetans realised the importance of upgrading the health services by training registered nurses to staff the clinics, some of which were enlarged into small hospitals. The Tibetan community in India, Nepal and Bhutan currently has 7 hospitals, 4 primary health centres and 43 small clinics, run by the Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which is situated in Dharamsala.
Under the auspices of the Department of Education (CTA), scholarships are given annually to Tibetan students to pursue a variety of careers.
TRAS has provided the scholarships for nursing students since 1995, helping many young women fulfil their ambition to succeed at a useful career and, at the same time, achieve independence for themselves with the ability to help support their own families.
The CTA is able to enrol qualifying students in excellent teaching hospitals in India, and the majority of the graduates immediately find employment, either in the small clinics and hospitals of the Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan or in Indian hospitals.
TRAS considers this a worthwhile project to continue, and has just approved a further three years of support. For 2019, TRAS will be supporting eight students, each taking a three-year general nursing course. Funds needed for 2019: $6,949.
Of the last 13 students, 9 are working in Tibetan or Indian hospitals, one just completed her BSc Nursing and is looking for work, one is going on to do her BSc Nursing, one has moved to the US, and one married and moved to Ladakh.
Recent graduates have written to TRAS:
“Hope you are in good health. I am always thankful to you for supporting me so far till here to achieve what I have dreamed for. With your support, I have completed my degree course and because of you, now, I am a confident lady to serve as a professional nurse.
I graduated my college in Jan 2014 from Dr. M.V. Shetty college of Nursing, Mangalore. And currently, I am serving as a Surgical ICU staff nurse in Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dehradun. And, it’s been half a year now. I am having a good time with my profession and I love what I am doing now.
This is the recent news from my side: In our hospital, there held poster competition for Nurses Day. I participated on behalf of my department and secured 1st position and the poster I have prepared I am here presenting to you.
With this, I extremely want to thank you for gifting me my profession! You will be always in my heart and prayers.
With thanks and regards,
Namgyal Dolma ”
“A very warm Tashi Delek! My name is Dolkar Tsering and I am a former scholarship awardee from TRAS. I studied nursing in Mangalore, India. And I am very glad that I have completed my nursing course with less difficulty which was only possible with your kind help. I completed my study in month of October and presently I am working as a staff nurse in Neuro Operation Theatre in Max hospital, Dheradun India.
At last, I would like to thank you all for your help and making me succeed in myself. Thank you once again.
Yours sincerely
Dolkar Tsering”