programs & partners health

In 1997, out of deep concern for the continuity of Tibetan Buddhism, Ven. Ribur Rinpoche saw that ill health and accidents in the monastic population were posing a serious threat to the transmission of knowledge and spiritual practice to the next generation. For destitute monks and nuns living in remote Tibetan refugee settlements, access to advanced medical care was simply beyond their means and the monasteries did not have the resources to cover catastrophic illnesses and accidents.   

Rinpoche proposed to Richard Gere that a program be created, initially to provide emergency medical care, and in time, a full range of health care services. His idea took root and the Tibetan Health Initiative was launched in 1999 through a partnership with Manipal Corporation, a leading Indian hospital system, which crafted an innovative membership-based health plan for more than 800 individuals at 15 monasteries and nunneries in the settlements of south India. Hundreds of lives have been profoundly affected each year and the transmission process in the monasteries has been strengthened through this Initiative.  

As a result of India's economic prosperity over the last decade, new affordable health insurance programs have become available to the rural poor. Beginning in 2005, Healing the Divide capitalized on this by initiating a major expansion of the Tibetan Health Initiative in cooperation with the Biocon Foundation. Currently, the Initiative has increased to provide over 5,000 Tibetan monks and nuns at 18 monasteries with comprehensive health care coverage.

Healing the Divide aims to continue its expansion of the Tibetan Health Initiative to not only meet the health care needs of the 19,000 monks and nuns living in the refugee settlement communities, but to also reach the lay population whom are in need of these important services. What began as a model program for the monastic community is now a means for broad coverage of the entire Tibetan refugee population. Through this constructive health care model for all Tibetans, their ancient culture and philosophy will continue to survive for generations to come.

The Tibetan Health Initiative is non-sectarian and members of the public are invited to support the health care needs of the Tibetan refugee population through a contribution to Healing the Divide.

Manipal Health Systems