“I am most concerned about how to bring the advantages of Tibetan medicine into full play so that people get ill less frequently,” said Tashi Dondrup, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and President of the Tibetan Medicine Hospital in Ngari Prefecture. When the journalist interviewed Tashi Dondrup, he was constantly supplementing and modifying the proposal to be submitted to the Two Sessions this year. He hoped to contribute to the improvement of conditions of medical care and public health in high-altitude areas.

Tashi Dondrup was elected as a member of the CPPCC National Committee in Xizang at the beginning of 2023.

Last year, during the Two Sessions, combined with many years of clinical practice and results of investigations and surveys, Tashi Dondrup submitted related proposals on the high-quality development of Tibetan medicine and relevant departments actively responded. During the medical service at grassroots level, he saw patients on a volunteer basis and investigated the current conditions of medical treatment and public health in high-altitude areas in Gar, Gerze, Coqen, Zanda, and other places.

“When seeing patients on a volunteer basis, I learned that most people who suffered from minor illnesses can be treated in the local area and those who suffered from serious illnesses could be treated in regional hospitals as medical conditions in high-altitude areas constantly improved in recent years. When they go to see a doctor, they can use their medical insurance cards for most diseases. Even if they are hospitalized, the costs are not high.” Tashi Dondrup introduced, “That people in agricultural and pastoral areas could not afford medical treatment or be cured had become history. We should now try to make farmers and herdsmen be cured with less money with powerful grassroots medical teams and supporting medical facilities.”

“The proposal I will submit this time is enhancing and improving the medical and health conditions in high-altitude areas. After investigations and surveys for a long term, I found that people in agricultural and pastoral areas had a high risk of diseases of high altitude including hypertension, high-altitude polycythemia, and rheumatic arthritis because they grazed in the open air for a long time and were affected by oxygen deficit and high and cold weather. So I suggest building oxygen generation stations in counties and townships at high altitudes, gradually promoting them to villages, providing each household with oxygen, and encouraging people at the age of 40 and above to uptake an appropriate amount of oxygen according to their physical condition every day. Meanwhile, we should build Tibetan medicine bath treatment rooms in every county and township for the prevention and treatment of rheumatic arthritis.” Tashi Dondrup told the journalist: “If oxygen generation and supply can be popularized in counties and townships at high altitudes in the whole prefecture, it will benefit farmers and herdsmen.”

In 2023, the Tibetan Medicine Hospital in Ngari Prefecture held a national academic seminar on Tibetan medicine together with the University of Tibetan Medicine in Xizang. In the seminar, topics including the birthplace of Tibetan medicine, high-quality development of Tibetan medicine, and safeguarding people’s health were discussed deeply and many results were obtained. As an organizer and participant, Tashi Dondrup took the lead and showed the responsibilities of a member of the CPPCC National Committee with his practical actions.

“As a member of the CPPCC National Committee, I will always focus on the demands of people and live up to their trust and expectations,” said Tashi Dondrup.