THE

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PRC-Tibet > Shigatse/Tsang

Country Doctor

Footage by Theresia Hofer (2007)

In addition to working from his home in Shigatse, Dr. Yontan Tsering tours the surrounding countryside to treat patients without access to healthcare. These medical expeditions are very important for rural patients as many do not have the means to seek treatment in the city. They also mean considerable expenses for Yontan Tsering, including transportation and the ever rising cost of both manufactured pills and the raw materials he uses to make medicines himself. Still he never asks for money from his rural patients. The traditional ethics of being a Tibetan doctor do not encourage putting a price tag on services or medicines, and being seen as greedy could ruin a doctor’s reputation. Instead of a fixed payment, people pay whatever they can.

Are you Balanced?