Impressions of Tibetan Medical Camp June 3 – 5, 2015 at Sylviander House

3 days Wellbeing program with the tibetan team from Bangalore, the 3rd Tibetan Medical Camp at Sylviander House!

Friendsoftibet campaigner Eswar Ananadan already arrives a day before, bringing organic rice and organic vegetables for our meals. 

Next early morning he welcomes the tibetan team at the railway station of Alappuzha. 

This time the team is:

Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar

Dr. Tamdin Sangmo

Sonam Wangmo

Tenzin Dhonden

Passang Tsering

After arrival at Sylviander House, immediately everybody starts with preparations for the camp. Then later, after having breakfast and done their prayer in Dr.Dorjee‘s room as every morning before consultation, the Tibetan Medical Camp begins punctually at 9 am.

In the entrance hall and on the west verandah all the different medicines are kept on 2 big tables and 1 bench, carefully distributed to the patients by Sonam, Dhonden and Passang.  

As always Lilama is busy preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for around 12 people. 

Victoria has come to help with translations, and on the 2nd day Tharanath from Thrissur for the 1st time arrives at Sylviander House to assist Eswar. 

Patients come and go all day long, waiting on the blue chairs in front of the house under the cashew nut tree or on the west verandah in front of Dr.Dorjee‘s room. 

 

Some seriously sick patients seek help from Dr. Dorjee, who treats a cancer patient to ease his terrific pain. After the treatment he feels better and smiles a bit. I encourage him with some light breathing exercises, which Dr. Dorjee prescribed him. 

Some patients are not able to enter the house, as one man being blind and having cancer, whom Dr. Dorjee examines outside beside the car. 

For our 4 baby cats – now 3 months old – this camp is their first experience with such a crowd. On the 1st day they hide the whole day in the garden full of fear of so many strangers, on the 2nd day they dare to appear on the verandah already in the afternoon and on the 3rd day they stay all day long on the verandah, playing near to their bowl for food. It is heart opening to watch them playing, the patients enjoy it. 

We have our food altogether in the kitchen in 2 rounds because of the limited space and to many hungry people!

To have some fun and joy is the best remedy to relax … 

On Friday noon, the 3rd day, the camp is going to end. While the tibetan team is still busy with the last patients, others sit together, happily talking about the camp. Around 140 patients had come, but nobody of us and the team felt any hectic during these the 3 days. We all managed it well, even this time Sethu Das couldn‘t be here. 

Since Tharanath has to catch the train back to Thrissur at 2 pm, we take the good-bye picture just before he leaves. 

The tibetan team still has some time left. After packing the remaining medicines and storing all utensils properly, they walk to Varghese‘s tea stall, where they have their tea with freshly made tiffins. Our cats – Simba alias Little Buddha, Moojoo and foundling Leo – enjoy the silence and to having back their space in front of the house for hanging around … 

Thanks for this good time. We are looking forward to the next Wellbeing Program in August 5 – 7, 2015 … 

Photographs by Sylvie Bantle and Victoria Sheldon