Karma Yonten & Jamyang Dorje

" It is my wish that the medical clinic serve all the people living in the poor and isolated area surrounding Namo Buddha. Women, children, laborers, and the elderly all benefit from this very needed service. Please support this project."                                            Thrangu Rinpoche

Namo Buddha Retreat Center and Monastic College in located in the mountains two hours from Katmandu, Nepal. Here the Buddha in a previous lifetime offered his body to a starving tigress so she wouldn't eat her cubs. The Free Clinic is on monastery grounds, which is located on this site.

The Tamang people inhabit the area surrounding Namo Buddha. Originally from Tibet, they came to the area several hundred years ago. They are extremely poor and support themselves through farming. The most basic health assistance is a four-hour walk from Namo Buddha and because of this Thrangu Rinpoche wished that a clinic be built to serve his neighbors.

The clinic opened its doors in April 1995 and attended to the healthcare needs of the local villagers as well as the 30 monks attending school and managing the Namo Buddha monastery.

Since that time, the community has grown and prospered. The Free Clinic now manages the healthcare of 3000 active patients from the neighboring areas. It is staffed by a monk health assistant, Jamyang Dorje, as well as a trained village health care worker. There are 130 monks now in residence at Namo Buddha. Primarily, they are young monks attending school. Also the monastery has employed many workers from the neighboring areas to help in the construction and growth of the monastic physical plant. The patient population, including monks, villagers and laborers has grown to the point where the existing facility cannot handle the volume and complexity of their needs.

The existing building at 162 square feet just manages to take care of people needing help. It has one basic examining all-purpose room with no running water, no storage space, no toilet and no privacy. Long lines of sick villagers must wait outside in the sun and rain to receive attention.

 

WE NEED A NEW BUILDING

The proposed new structure will be 720 square feet. This new building would have two examination rooms providing for privacy, running water in each examining room, toilets and a room for storage. It is a modest structure but one able to handle the increased patient load.

Namo Buddha Medical Fund was created in order to facilitate the collection of funds and supplies. Monetary donations of any size, for the purchase of the medicines are greatly appreciated. Medicines can be purchased in Nepal and are much less expensive than in the USA. Donations of equipment, supplies, and medicines are also helpful. Items particularly needed include: all kinds of vitamins, bandages, Band-Aids, ACE Wraps, suture materials, triple antibiotic ointment, antifungal creams, hydrocortisone cream, methyl salicylate ointment (Ben-Gay), Tiger Balm, blood pressure medicines, oral antifungal medicines, medicines for acid reflux, and batteries for the equipment (especially AA and AAA).

If you would like further information on how you can help us build this new clinic or contribute to the medical fund, you can contact:

Dr John Barnhill: norbuu@yahoo.com

Dr Dawn Hutchinson: DawnRHutchinson@gmail.com

Donations can be made through the Himalayan Children's Fund.
Contact: Debra Ann Robinson
Himalayan Children's Fund
P.O. Box 15644
Beverly Hills, California 90209 USA
Telephone: (310) 395-6616
E-mail: debraannr@mac.com