Phendhe Menkhang

Phen means ‘advantage’

Dhe means ‘happiness’

Menkhang means ‘hospital’

Phendhe Menkhang; the hospital that will be bring as an advantage the source of happiness.

At the beginning of 2010, the opportunity arose to build our first Health Care center in the Darlag province. On a donated piece of land from a local monastery, a center was built equipped with six rooms.

The Health Care center itself is located in the city Dawu. The opening of this center took place in October 2010.

After this opening there was a wall built around the center, and there is a well created in order to provide the center clean water. In line with the objective of our foundation since October 2011, the Health Care center has been controlled and managed by the monastery that donated the land.

In this Health Care Center, locals receive free consultations and medication. All this entirely in the tradition of Tibetan medicine and complemented, where appropriate, with the knowledge of our western medicine.

At the end of the year in 2011, in addition to the Health Care center being opened there was also a factory for medicine opened next door. It produces their “own” medicines and also this medical manufacturing site is used as a supplier

The area where Phende Menkhang is found is Machen county Golog prefecture (果洛 藏族 ⾃ 治 州 玛沁 县) It is remote and the road towards it are dusty and sometimes in poor condition due to rain.

In 2016, three new monk-physicians began working in the hospital.

1. Akhu Darji

2. Chubji

3. Derden

All three are graduates of the Mordo Tashi Dartang Tibetan Medical Institute 兴 海 县 扎 ⻄ 达 in traditional Tibetan medicine and are able to provide health care. They have no specialization in health care and their care is then called as a generalist.

In Pende Menkhang the consultations and treatment are free of charge; you only pay for the medication needed.

The family or patient themselves must bring their own blankets and other supplies for a hospital stay. The family takes care of the food and the care of the patient (this is very common and a local habit).

Future wishes and needs

  • More experienced and accredited nurses and doctors. Because the monastery itself is in such a remote location, there are not are many doctors that choose to this as their workplace. Therefore, the wage offered by the monastery for experienced well-trained doctors is relatively high 5000 RMB (€ 666.00) to 6,000 RMB (€ 800.00) per month. In addition, there is a factor of difficulty concerning the finding of a non-monk physician. This need is great due to the embarrassment between doctor and female patient if care in the genital area is necessary
  • More rooms, better beds
  •  A wooden medicinal bath because of the high prevalence in arthritis (80%). Also tuberculosis is seen often in patients. Making this bath then an absolute must.

Phende Menkhang

Under construction

Thubten, head of the monastery

Thubshir, school director and teacher

Chubji, graduated doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine and working in Pende Menkhang