We are lucky to work with amazing people who put the needs of others before their own. On #InternationalWomenDay2018 we'd like to highlight the work of Tsering Dolkar and her sister Lhakpa Dolma.
Since 1995 they've helped 1000s of Tibetans get the support and medical care they need.
When Tsering Dolkar first arrived in Chandigarh, she noticed the lack of care and resources for hundreds of Tibetans arriving for treatment at some of India’s most renowned hospitals.
Tibetan patients often travel great distances to get specialist treatment at hospitals in Chandigarh, some even travelling all the way from Tibet.
But when they arrive, many do not have the knowledge they need of how to navigate the complicated Indian hospital system. They have trouble making appointments and getting to see the doctors they need. Many have little or no knowledge of Hindi or English and struggle to communicate their problems. Understanding diagnoses and treatment can be even more baffling.
On top of this, accommodation in Chandigarh can be expensive and most people cannot afford hotels or hostels to stay at during their treatments – which can sometimes last for months. People will often risk their health but traveling to Chandigarh for the shortest time possible before making the long journey home when they are not recovered enough. Over the years, several people have died doing just this because they could not afford to stay near the hospital.
In 1995, a highly compassionate and motivated young Tibetan lady, Tsering Dolkar, decided to do something about this. She rented rooms and started welcoming Tibetan patients in to her home. She made medical appointments for them and went with them to see the doctors. She translated what the doctors told them and explained in a way the patients could understand. She helped them get their medicines and took care of them at her home whilst they recovered.
Tsering Dolkar found her services were so popular with Tibetans that she needed extra helped and so, a couple of years later, she was joined by her sister, Lhakpa Dolma.
Since 2007 we have been proudly supporting them.
http://www.tibetrelieffund.co.uk/where-we-work/projects-in-india-2/help-hand-tibetan-patients/