Loseling Altruistic Medical Association

Loseling Altruistic Medical Association (LAMA) is a charitable medical association registered with the government of Karnataka, India. This medical association runs Loseling Clinic, conducts free medical camps in remote villages, and also aims to perform more medical social services in the near future.

Brief History of Loseling Clinic

Loseling Clinic, which was earlier known as ‘ Loseling Dispensary,’ was established in 1984 primarily to provide free First Aid and general medicine to the young students of Drepung Loseling School. The medical service later expanded to include Loseling’s elder monks and then finally to all the monks and laypeople of this area. We offered half-price medications and basic treatments needed for everyone who came to us. Though we underwent hardships and financial crises during all those years, we survived with the kind support of generous people.

There has been a rapid increase in number of inhabitants at Mundgod, the poor rural area where Loseling is located. The population of Loseling Monastery was less than 500 monks in 1984. Over past 20 years it has grown to more than 2500 monks currently. Though we have many monks from the Himalayan regions as well as from Nepal, Bhutan and Tibetan communities in India, most of them are new arrivals from Tibet. Many of the monks have not had vaccinations or access to good medical facilities.

There were lots of problems for ailing patients such as the amount of time, financial costs and the language barrier when they went out of the monastery for the standard diagnosis and treatment. As a result, Drepung Loseling monastery expanded its dispensary into a full-fledged clinic, which could provide treatment for patients using sophisticated medical equipment. This new LAMA clinic was inaugurated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 9,2002.

The Clinic’s formost contributor, Swiss Ms. Tika supported the clinic till 1988 from 1984. Ms. Nortje Tenzin Lhamo contributed 4000/ Holland currency in the year 1990. In the year 2001 Ani Chen Mio and her family and friends constructed the new building with all the interiors and medical equipments and continued financial support on medical and administration expenses till date. The Tsepheling Medical Center has magnanimously contributed to the Clinic on its daily expenses from 2001 to April 2004. The Drepung Loseling Monastery Inc. of Atlanta, United state contributed US $1000/ per month from 2004 to 2006. In the year 2003 the Loseling Altruistic Association, Taiwan constructed the new building beside the existing building and contributing generously on the entire medical and administration expenses.

Services Rendered

This full-fledged charitable clinic now offers free medical services to all monks and nuns as well as free consultation with 50% discounts on medicine and diagnostics to the Tibetan lay people, native Indians and whomever comes here for treatment. Availability of good resident doctors, sophisticated medical equipment and standard medicine at affordable prices or free-of-cost has made this clinic a cherished oasis of medicine.

The clinic now offers free acupuncture treatment with qualified practitioners to all the patients who visit Loseling Clinic. The patients especially the oldies are very impressed with result of the treatment.

Keeping in view the high cost and lack of standard dental clinic in the area, Loseling Clinic now has opened a new dental section in addition to its existing departments. So, that the poor residents can avail better and free treatment.

As it is said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” A new health education section is set up at the LAMA clinic in addition to our treatment programs to impart health education to the general public through health periodical publications, social conferences and health awareness camps etc. to enriching people’s understanding of the cause, nature, treatment and preventative measures for deadly diseases, such as tuberculosis, diabetes and others. 

Besides regular physicians, we also invite specialists to come on a given Sunday of the month to provide their unique services. Currently we schedule a radiologist (ultrasounds) and gastro-enterologist on the first Sundays, an ear, nose and throat specialist on the second Sundays, a dermatologist on the third Sundays and an orthopedist on the fourth Sundays to enhance Sundays the quality and breadth of medial services we provide to the public.

Dream Project

It is our wish to provide the following additional facilities to the patients in addition to our regular programs.

1. To purchase standard Tibetan herbal medicine for hepatitis B.
2. To purchase tuberculosis medicines.
3. To increase the visiting frequency of the Sunday’s visiting doctors.
4. To invite other specialist for kidney, lung, heart and etc. but, due to insufficient funds our dream remains dream only.

Special Programs

In addition to our regular services, we offer free medicine to the poorest of the poor who cannot afford health care even at a reduced price. We go into the thick jungle to reach the poor indigenous people living without any medical facilities. Earlier this year we visited three such villages where we treated 585 people including children and the elderly.

We also hosted free medical camps with medical groups from abroad like Medical Expedition International (MEI), Flying Doctors of America, Kuan-Yen Compassion Buddhist Association of Taiwan, Taiwan Dental Association and etc. A new team of MEI doctors are scheduled to conduct the week Long free medical camp from 24th October 2006 to 29th October  2006 in Loseling Clinic as well as in remote local Indian villages where there is no medical facilities. We will continue this kind of free medical camps as it benefits thousands of poor patients.

There are many ways you can help

• Contribute any amount of money by check. You may specify the Loseling Clinic’s Medicine fund, Emergency fund, Medical Aid fund, Health Education Fund, or General fund.

• You can choose to sponsor the Loseling clinic for a day or half-day, practicing your generosity for others.

• Volunteer your healthcare skills as a doctors, nurse, or paramedic at our clinic for a given time.

• Donate needed medicine, medical equipment or medical literature; it is very much appreciated.

Sponsorship form for the Loseling Altruistic Medical Association

Click here to download the form. (in PDF)

Annual Performance Report of Loseling Clinic 2006-07

• It is a great pleasure to inform you that the Loseling Altruistic Medical Association was able to provide following charitable healthcare service to thousands of sick people in the following ways:

• Loseling Altruistic Medical Association provided medical aid for 64 needy monks who were diagnosed with acute appendicitis, kidney stones, bone fractures or other diseases, which cannot be treated here at Loseling Clinic. Most of those needy monks treated under our medical aid program are now fully recovered and continuing their study and practices today.

• Loseling Clinic provided free consultation and medicines to over 18439 monks and 289 nuns who belong to different monasteries and convents situated in Mundgod or other parts of India.

• Loseling Clinic provided free consultation and 50% discount on medications to 168 local Indian patients and 1152 Tibetan lay people who visited here for treatment.

• Loseling Clinic provided free consultation and medicine to over 10878 monks and 249 nuns and free consultation and 50% discount on medicines to 1157 Tibetan lay people and 168 local Indian patients through Tibetan traditional medicine.

• Loseling Clinic invited group of doctors from Medical Expedition International, America and saw hundreds of patients had benefited.

• Loseling clinic provided free dental treatments to 1196 monks/nuns and 50% discount to 532 lay Indians and Tibetans.

In short, Loseling Clinic provided charitable medical services to over 34228 patients from 1st August 2006 to 31st June 2007.

We deeply thank those generous people who supported us with their contributions of money, idea, and medical skills or other in kind donations.

You can donate to the following LAMA funds:

Medicine fund:	Used for purchasing medicines for our patients.
Emergency fund:	used for the treatment of patients who require intensive care.
Medical aid fund:	used to help subsidize any surgery or other external medical treatment the monks might require.
Health Education fund:	used to help educate monks as well as the general public about the cause, nature, treatment and preventive measures for deadly diseases.
General fund:	used for the vital operation and maintenance of the Loseling Clinic.