Jamgon Kongtrul 3rd Memorial HEALTH CARE CENTRE

The Health Care Centre serving Lava (India), its surrounding remote communities, and the Monastery opened as a day clinic in 1995. At the time, it was the only health care facility for a population of more than 7,000. It is situated at the entrance of Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, and operates under the Monastery’s administration. 

Today, the population has grown to more than 15,000. There are patients who walk for over three hours to reach the clinic. It provides primary care and acts as a link to diagnostic and treatment centres in Kalimpong (1 hour away by car) and in Siliguri (2 to 3 hours away by car). Treatments for the poor are free and medications are subsidized.

The Clinic has a resident registered nurse, Sister Lhaden. Dr. Sonam Drakpa, a senior physician and ENT specialist at the Kalimpong General Hospital, visits weekly with a pharmacist. Both have served with dedication and commitment since 1996. Since April 2022, Dr. Reetesh Tamang, a Dental Surgeon from the Kalimpong District Hospital, has been making monthly visits at the invitation of Dr. Sonam Drakpa. 

In 2024, the clinic treated 1,555 people. Of these, 424 were monks of Kagyu Thekchen Ling monastery, and 712 came from Lava town and nearby Kopche village. The remaining 419 patients were from 42 remote villages around Lava.

There were 170 cases of hypertension, 130 cases of diabetes, and skin diseases. Other major cases involved ailments of the lungs, kidneys, throat, ears, and nose. The clinic’s establishment has led to an improvement in the overall health of Lava and its surrounding communities.