Traditional medicine

Buddhism in Mongolia is working with the School of Traditional Medicine in the National Medical University of Mongolia to strengthen understanding of the Buddhist foundation of traditional Mongolian medical practice. The School, established in 1989, trains doctors in the theory and clinical practice of traditional Buddhist medicine. The head of the school, Professor Tumurbaatar, requested support from the Foundation to help him "put Buddhism back in to the heart of traditional medicine." With funds from the programme, the School is currently producing a series of four medical textbooks in modern Mongolian language that will greatly assist in the re-establishment of traditional Mongolia medical practice.

Buddhism in Mongolia provided funds to build a traditional medical clinic in the grounds of Pethub Monastery which is operating on a non-profit basis. The Prime Minister, Enkhbayar, and the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar formally opened the clinic in June 2002. The resident doctor is a young Mongolian monk who was trained at the Menba Datsan in Ulaanbaatar. In 2002 he was joined by a Tibetan Amchi (traditional physician) trained at the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute in Dharamsala, whose international travel costs were paid by the Programme.