A need for a model university and modern pharmaceutical unit
His Holiness the Dalai Lama established the Men-Tsee-Khang in 1961 to preserve, promote and propagate the ancient system of Tibetan medicine and astrology. This establishment also gave birth to a medical & astro. school. Since its inception the Tibetan Medical & Astro. College situated within the premises of the Men-Tsee-Khang headquarters nurtured 230 doctors and astrologers. This also includes graduate doctors from the trans-Himalayan regions, including students from (outer) Mongolia, and from former Soviet federations such as Buryat, Tuva and Kalmykia. All of them were provided job opportunities in the institute under the various departments and branch clinics. 127 of them continue to serve in the Men-Tsee-Khang under various capabilities and the remaining left the institute for greener pastures.
There has been a growing demand to study Tibetan medicine & astrology from around the world. Yet, owing to the fact that we still have not been able to translate the whole medical & astro texts into English—has become the major hurdle. Nevertheless, many foreign students, having studied Tibetan literature and language, studied and are continuing their studies in the college. We have one Japanese and few Mongolians at the moment. Apart from regular college curriculum, interested people are also given opportunity to study Tibetan medicine & astrology for a short period of 10 days courses, organized every year by the administration.
With growing demands on natural medicines, we get to know that the mainstream conventional medicine is forced to sidestep and pave way for Complementary & Alternative Medicines (CAM) in the wake of many evident side effects. People world over are becoming more cautious in their approach and they tend to show more inclination towards CAM. In its process, Tibetan medicine too receives its due share of respect and appreciation over its efficacy mainly due to its herbal composition of mild doses and minimal side effect.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports that in the United States alone, “36% of adults are using some form of CAM. When megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons are included in the definition of CAM, that number rises to 62%.” It also reports, “The National Health Interview Survey (though) did not include questions on spending on health care, but the report authors cited spending figures from national surveys conducted in 1997 estimated to $36 billion to $47 billion on CAM.” 1
Thus the demand for Alternative medicine is growing fast not only in the USA but also in the Europe. As NCCAM rightfully puts that “While some scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies—questions such as whether these therapies are safe and whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are used.” These questions arise mainly because of poor documentation and lack of thorough scientific research pertaining to the efficacy of medicines. Despite being time-tested and widely used, Tibetan medicine too faces the similar predicaments. Therefore, the Men-Tsee-Khang is undertaking what Tibetans normally say “Proving truth from the fact” to make people believe and gain substantially from it. This mammoth task of persuasion goes parallel with its objective to preserve, promote and propagate Tibetan medicine.
To meet the increasing demand for such medical healthcare system, a fully functional university has become the prerequisite condition. The current college lacks many aspects of present-day medical college including medical hospital & research section. Therefore, the Men-Tsee-Khang administration needed to restructure all the areas pertaining to the medical college that meets global standard. The Governing Body of the institute, after having studied its implications, approved the project. Subsequently, the administration is in the process of acquiring 25-30 acres land adjacent to Dehra Dun, Uttranchal State.
The project activities have been structured into 5-phase programme: Land acquisition, building constructions, arrangement of the hospital technology, recruiting faculty members and management, and college admission process.
The administration hopes to receive funding for the human resources and researches unit yet the huge estimated cost bound to incur on the construction of the Model University and the pharmaceutical unit look somewhat bleak. As it is said, “Little drops of water makes a mighty ocean.” It is a sincere hope of the administration that interested organisation, funding agents, and individuals may take up this cause and collectively pour in with generous donations to cover construction costs.
Along with the Model University a need
to develop harmaceutical department—equipped with cutting edge technologies—was also felt very important. The administration is now on a look for a suitable place to construct new pharmaceutical unit. It imposes greater importance on the practices of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The pharmacy will also have a separate research wing to check quality control, contamination, presence of microbial & heavy metals, etc.
In preparation for such strict norms on quality of medicine, the administration, earlier last month, recruited two Masters of Science who will work on possible presence of microbial & heavy metals and to work on the GMP of the Pharmaceutical department.
Once the initial workout on the project is completed then it should not take long for the construction and the actual work process to be implemented.
Interested organisations, granters, and individual may contact the Director at the following address:
The Director
Men-Tsee-Khang
Khara Danda Road
Gangchen Kyishong
Distt Kangra
Dharamsala – 176215
H.P. INDIA
Email: tmai@men-tsee-khang.org
Footnotes:
1. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
