Men-tsee-khang

Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute of H.H. the Dalai Lama
Type	Autonomous Institution
Director	Dr. Tsewang Tamdin
Academic staff	144
Location	Dharamsala, Himachal, India 32°13′19″N 76°19′02″E / 32.222°N 76.3172°E / 32.222; 76.3172
Website	www.men-tsee-khang.org

Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan:དབུས་་སྨན་རྩིས་ཁང་། Wylie: sman rtsis khang)officially Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, is a charitable institution based at Dharamsala, Himachal Predesh, India. The institute was formally incepted by the 13th Dalai Lama, at Lhasa in the year of 1916. In the aftermath of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama came to India where he reestablished the institution with aims to promoting and preserving Tibetan medicine and Tibetan astro.faculty for the benefits of patients, especially the needy, the poor, the helpless. The institute is managed under two departmental categories, namely the Administrative Department and the Cultural Department.

Administrative Departments

Head Office

A Bird-eye View of Men-Tsee-Khang

The Head Office involves two executive members: director (Tib: Woezin) and Registrar( Tib: Drungche). The tenure of director and registrar is five years. Nowadays the director is elected by the personals of Men-Tsee-Khang, and the elected director can directly appoint the registrar. The administration of the institute is decentralized, each of the cultural department and branch clinic heads is authorized to manage departments and clinics, and control the staffs as well. The major issues such as new construction, recruitment purchasing of land, staff transfer are done by Head Office.

Branch Clinic Office

It was set up to administer the overall management and efficient working of the branch clinics. Under this office there are fifty three branch clinics mainly in India. These branch clinics shoulder the mainstream responsibility of rendering health-care services to all, irrespective of caste, race, gender and so forth. These clinics in a small town usually consist of one doctor, one account and one dispenser, and while these in a metropolitan city consist of two doctors, one account, two dispersers, a sweet receptionist, and other blue-collar staffs.

Cultural Departments

Tibetan Medical & Astro. College

It was established in the year of 1961. The department of college where Tibetan doctors and astrologers are trained for five years, and subsequently interned at branch clinics of Men-Tsee-Khang across India almost for one year. Students are selected through entrance examination. At present there are 25 seats for graders, 2 seats for staff child,one seat for foreigners and one seat for Himalayans. 243 Tibetan doctors and 47 Tibetan astrologers are graduates of the college, and they all have been awarded with Kachupa Degree.^[1]

Asto. Departments

This department was initially set up in 1961 and was an independent institute until 1967. After Tibetan culture Minjin Lobkhang and Tserig Lobkhang were unified under one umbrella. The astrology department uses traditional methods of calculation to produce a range of annual almanacs, calenders, amulets and horoscopes in both Tibetan and English. Huge orders received from individuals and abroad. This department serves various organisations in making all kinds of calculation that required before initialting some activities. Apart from research coming for horoscope reading, they also produce astrological birth reading, marriage compatibility reading, individual obstacle reading, medical reading, daily favoribility reading, medical preparatory planning reading, and death reading in both Tibetan and English. Different kinds of amulets are also prepared from this department based on various needs of people. They also entertain guests, journalists, and other interested people to bring awareness of Tibetan astrological and to preserve, promote and develop this rich culture.

Materia Medica

This department does research on the identification of medicinal herbs, especially those herbs which still remain unidentified or misidentified. The research is carried out by comparing reliable sources and seeking advices from eminent Tibetan doctors living both outside and inside Tibet. The department also does comparative studies between Tibetan medicinal and [Ayurvedic herbs], as well as that of Unainia or Sita, and publishes books covering the various names, pictures, habitats, and efficacy of the herbs. The department succeeded on the drawings of eighty-eight medical scroll paintings, which was firstly drawn by Desi Sangay Gyatso(1653–1705).^[2]

Mentsee Research Department

This department was established in 1995. The name of the department has been renamed three times, Editorial and Publication Department, Sorig Literary Department and Mentsee Research Department, respectively. The department shoulders the responsibility of compiling and collecting various works of great Tibetan scholars, especially those works which are found scarce and rare at present. Besides, the department carries research on Tibetan medicine and astrology, and periodically publishes sman rtsis journal both in Tibetan and English. The department very proudly launched a new Tibetan web-site called [www.mentsee.org] on the golden jubilee celebration of Men-Tsee-khang to heighten awareness of Tibetan medical and astrological knowledge. Since then the department has been managing and updating the website with inevitable efforts and perseverance.

Herbal Products Research Department

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Being established in the year of 1982, it became an independent department in 19911. The department manufactures nearly forty variant health-care products mainly based on traditional formulations of Tibetan medicine, following the international rules and regulation of good manufacturing practice(G.M.P.). These products include Hair Oil, Ointment, Incense, Anti-Wrinkle Creams, Massage Oil, loong Tea, to name a few and are heartily welcomed by peoples across the world, as these are really potent to treat minor and major ailments. All the products are branded as Sorig. The department involves two doctors and around twenty workers. The main aim and objective of this department is to preserve the knowledge of healthcare and beauty remedies for the benefit of mankind, and also to raise awareness on the value of natural herbs.

Translation Department

Being founded in May 2001, it became an independent department in the year of 2009. The department mainly involves in the translation project of the most prestigious fundamental text of Tibetan medicine called 'The Four Medical Tantras' or 'Gyueshi' into English, with the purpose of introducing Tibetan medicine to the western stage at the same time providing peoples with healthcare services. So far, this department has successfully translated and published the Root Tantra, the Explanatory Tantra and the Subsequent Tantra of Tibetan medicine. The department now continues on translation of the Oral Instruction Tantra, and partly works on the preparation of Tibetan-English medical dictionary as well.

Clinical Research Department

This department was initially established in 1980 under the name of 'Research and Development'. Since 1994 it started conducting research on specific disease. In 1999 the name of the department was changed to Clinical Research Department. On the basis of unique diagnostic thods and features of Tibetan medicine, this department coins new terms for disease in Tibetan, does research in producing new medicines and documents evidence based practice. Clinical studies are done by incorporating modern legal scientific methods on diseases, which are widely prevalent and have seen less treatment success, with allopathic medicine. Since 1988, this department has done clinical research on hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis B, and conducted studies on evaluation and safety of Tsothel in traditional Tibetan Medicine, hypertension survey, Pilot study on peptic ulcer and gastritis. The clinical trials on diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis B, and tshothal studies have proved great success.^[3] As a contribution to public health, the department has published books on dietary regimes and are presently using the different media platforms like radio, television and local news papers to educate common people about health, disease prevention, dietary and lifestyle management.

Pharmaceutical Department

This department was incepted in 1961 and entrusted to manufacture medicines through the seven sub-process of collection of raw materials, cleaning, formulation, pulverizing, pill coating, and medicine counting-cum-packing sections. This department was recognized as standard pharmaceutical center in the year of 20101 by the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine ans was registered vide Pr/C001/2010 required. The department manufactures 172 types of medicine, mainly in the forms of pills and powders. The formulae of 37 medicines are derived from the Gyueshi, 107 from the practical instructions of various scholars, and 35 from a combination of both Gyuehi and personal instructions. All the medicines are distributed to the branch clinics of Men-Tsee-Khang as per requirement.

See also

• Traditional Tibetan Medicine
• Tibetan Astrology

References

1. ^ Gyatso, Kyenrab (2011). Lor gyue dre med gser zhun. Dharamsala: Tibetan Medical and Astro. College. pp. 207. ISBN 81-86419-70-5. 
2. ^
   

   A Sample of Medical Paintings
3. ^ Geshe Tenpa Tashi, ed (2011). A Brief Introduction of Men-Tsee-Khang (1961-2011). Dharamsla: men-tsee-khang. 

External links

• Administrative website of Men-Tsee-Khang
• Cultural Website for Tibetan Medicine and Astro. Faculty
• Sorig Healthcare Products