MIRIK, Jan 14-22, 2018: Kun Kyong Charitable Trust organised the Himalayan Area Health Care Taker Training Programme Basic Course especially for monks this year. Team of 10 Doctors, Nurses and volunteers were invited from Taiwan Health Corps led by Dr. Jeffrey Chen to conduct the training. Prior to this, on the direction of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, four trainings were held in 2015, 2016 and 2017; three at Bodhgaya for nuns and one at Pullahari Monastery for monks of Kagyu monasteries in Nepal.

Kun Kyong Charitable Trust invited all Khoryug monasteries in the West Bengal and Sikkim to nominate 4-5 participants from each monasteries to take part in this course.

The course had training sessions on following topics:

1. Fundamental Anatomy and Basic Concepts of Physiology by Dr. Chu, YI TZU, Obstetrics & Gynaecology & Dr. CHENG, YI-CHANG, Obstetrics & Gynaecology
2. Preliminary Interventions of Injury, Bleeding, Fracture and Wrappings by Mr. LEE, HSIN-YU, Emergency Medical Technicians & Ms. LIN, WEI-YI, Nurse Practitioner
3. CPR & Heimlich Maneuver by Dr. CHENG, YI-CHANG, Obstetrics & Gynecology & Ms. LIN, WEI-YI, Nurse Practitioner
4. Preliminary Diagnosis and Intervention of Local Common Diseases by Dr.CHOU, WEI-CHENG, Urology & Dr. Chu, YI TZU, Obstetrics
5. Emergency Care Chinese Medicine Perspective by Dr. TSENG, SHIH-TING, Chinese Medicine
6. Understanding Pharmacology of the Commonly Used Medicines by Dr. CHENG, YI-CHANG, Obstetrics & Gynecology
7. Adolescent Health Education and Health Care for the Elderly; Nutriology by Dr. CHOU, WEI-CHENG, Urology & Dr. Chu, YI TZU, Obstetrics & Gynecology
8. How to set up a basic health care room (health station) and operating the equipment by Mr. LEE, HSIN-YU, Emergency Medical Technicians
9. Simulation Practice by Dr.CHOU, WEI-CHENG, Urology & Dr. CHENG, YI-CHANG, Obstetrics & Gynecology

All sessions were followed by simulation practices. All sessions were facilitated and translated by Lhakpa Tsering, Programme Manager of Kun Kyong Charitable Trust and Dr. Nima Chungdak of Taiwan Health Corps

Total of 33 monks from five different monasteries in Darjeeling and Sikkim participated in the workshop. Upon completion of the workshop, one whole day was spent on assessing the learning through tests and simulations. Lama Thinlay, Principal of the Bokar Monastery was invited on the closing day to give away achievement certificates to all those who completed the workshop and were further encouraged to participate in the advance trainings in future.

TESTIMONIALS:

“…. I feel more than 90% of what was taught in the workshop are very practical and will certainly be required in our lives. I shall try to apply right method on right patients accordingly. I am very thankful to His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa and Kun Kyong Charitable Trust making this training possible.”- Karma Konchok Tshering, monk of Zurmang Monastery, Ranka, Sikkim.

“… I was surprised how much easy is it to give first aid services and help people in need. I have learnt so many ways to treat wounds, burns and help fractures. I also learnt so many simple but important things about our body organs and their roles. Please request our monasteries to send us again for advance trainings.” – Pasang Kaji, monk of Rumtek Monastery.

“I hope we all monks apply and share what we have learnt here at the workshop. I am sure the certificate of achievement is not for sole purpose of hanging it on the walls of our quarters. Main purpose of the workshop was to learn all these things, so that we could go back as trained health caretaker. Now, we can help others in need. Also, we should share with others what we have learnt here. All the topics were very important and training were imparted very well.” – Lama Tshering Wangdi, Kalu Rinpoche’s Monastery, Sonada