A Bhutanese found dead in New Zealand

26,644

According to news received quite late from New Zealand, a Bhutanese recently resettled in Palmerston North suburb of the county has been found hanging on January 15.

Late Kumar Pradhan had been in Palmerston just four months but had arrived New Zealand in late August last year. Friends and relatives remember him of a friendly person but of silent nature and short temper. The incidence is thought to have occurred in the night but the family found him dead only in the morning.

Born in Kalikhola of Dagana district, Pradhan was forced to leave the country with his family when he was still a child. The family stayed at Maidhar initially and moved to Bhutanese refugee camp Bendangi II.
A good football player of his age, Pradhan had not pursued his studies. Here, he had been attending ESOL classes at English Teaching College (ETC). Last went to his class was on January 13.

‘I like this country and is a beautiful place to live here”, he had told his brother Gopal one day while meeting him at Mangere and had hinted that he should have got married before moving to this country.

According to community organisation’s chairman Sudarshan Adhikari, the Bhutanese community really got organised in short period of time to manage for his funeral the next day.

Details to follow

Contributed by Doma Kafley

Giri elected to lead UK community

26,644

Durga Giri, a senior community member who has recently shifted to the United Kingdom from his country of asylum Germany, has been unanimously elected to lead the Committee of Bhutanese Welfare Association (CBWA), UK.

The newly elected team of the Committee of Bhutanese Welfare Association

Announced with an ad hoc committee in July last year, the committee also elected KN Pokhrel as Vice-Chairperson, Sunita Rai as Secretary, Anup Budathoki as Treasurer, and three central committee members – Dup Tshring Lepcha, Sabitra Giri and Jasu Subba for a tenure of two years, according to a press statement circulated Monday.

The statement issued by Secretary Sunita Rai also mentioned that senior members, intellectuals and academicians in the community have volunteered to remain in the advisory body of the organization.

“However, some individuals have abstained from attending it and expressed their reservations,” said Rai.

The newly elected body has also appealed all in the community to come forward with the attitude of mutual respect, compromise and positive thinking to discuss the problems in the interest of the community.

“We are in a transitional phase and in the process of integrating in the new society. We are practicing democracy and should respect the difference of opinions,’’ said newly elected Chairperson Giri.

The statement further said that a meeting of its central committee on Sunday discussed and identified various programs necessary for the resettled Bhutanese in the United Kingdom.

The CBWA has been running vocational trainings and intensive English learning programs in the community with an aim of enhancing capacity and competence.

Wild elephant creates panic in Beldangi

26,644

A wild elephant that entered into Beldangi-II camp early Sunday morning created panic for almost an hour. The wild beast destroyed at least 11 huts.

A hut partially destroyed by the wild elephant in Beldangi-II

“The panic lasted almost an hour before refugees were able to chase away the animal,” Beldangi Camp Secretary Dhan Bir Subba told Bhutan News Service.

According to Subba, no humans were harmed by the animal. “The elephant destroyed at least 11 huts. Some of the displaced people are housed in a common shelter,” he added.

The distraction included seven huts of Beldangi-II and four of Beldangi-II Extension camp.

So far three exiled Bhutanese have been killed by wild elephants inside the camps. However, the authority has not yet compensated for the loss citing lack of legal provision for refugees to be benefited from the compensation package.

Reported by Hari Kumar Dahal and Moses Lagoon from Beldangi for BNS

Buddhist community observes Lhosar in camps

26,644

The Buddhist community of Sanischare camp marked Lhoshar by organizing various programs from January 18 – 23.

Folk of Buddhist people during Lhosar celebration (Picture : Tilak Niraula)

Aimed at creating peace in the world, the five-day function gathered thousands of people from the camps and host communities.

“The celebrations achieved a grand success,” said Camp Secretary Campa Sign Rai. “This kind of program will enhance universal peace and fraternity.”

“बधाई”भित्र-२

….क्रमश:

दागापेलाका तत्कालिन डुङ्पा श्री ठिन्लेले आफूलाई बोलाएर ” तपाईंलाई उप-गृहमन्त्रीको सन्देश छ, यो समयमा सरकारलाई मद्दत गर्नु पर्यो सरकारले आवश्यक सुबिधा,सहयोग दिइनेछ” भन्नुभयो। उत्तरमा आफूले जहिले पनि आफ्नो देश र जनताकै हितमा यथार्थ दु:ख-सुख कुराकानी प्रस्तुत गर्दै आफ्नो कर्तब्य निभाएको मात्र हो, अन्यथा नलिन निवेदन टक्राउँदै बिदा लिएँ । जनताको अहितमा सोच्न नसक्ने आफ्नो प्रकृति भएकाले क्षमताअनुसार जीवनमा कमाएको यथार्थतालाई सक्नु थिएन, सुनुवाइ नभए पनि जनताकै हितमा कुरा गर्नु पर्दा , जीवन खतराको सङ्केत पाएर घर परिवारलाई अत्यन्तै संकटकालीन अवस्थामा छोडी लगभग राती १० बजे समयमा वृद्ध माताजी र घरपरिवारको रुवाबासी भइरहेको समय, सानो छोराको ” बाबा थिम्पुबाट मिटिङ सकेर छिट्टै आउनु ल ” भनेको त्यही आलो शब्द लिएर, पृथ्वी मातालाई ढोगी , मातृभूमिको सानो डल्लो झोलामा लिएर ईष्ट-मित्रहरुको सहयोगमा केही साथीहरुसँग बनबास को यात्रा शुरु गरेर १९९० मै निर्बासित हुन पुगियो ।

त्यसपछि भएका जटिल अवस्था र घटनाको बारेमा सुन्दा, जति वर्णन गरे पनि कमि नै हुन्छ, वर्णन गरी साध्य पनि छैन । श्रीमतीलाई बिमारी अवस्थामा छोडेको, ६० वर्षीय सिधा दाजुलाई बजारमा सैनिकले कुटेर दात फुकाली घरमा थला परेको, त्यही समय किरण गौतम (शिक्षक )लाई पनि बजारमा कुटेको खबर , मानिसहरुलाई पक्रेको, गुरु पण्डितहरुलाई पनि पक्रेर चेमगाङ जेलमा लगिएको र गाउँगाउँबाट अरु अरु ठाउँबाट पनि मनिसहरु पक्रेर जेलमा लगेको खबर, यातना पाएको खबर, श्री धर्मराज गुरुङ्लाई डम्फु जेलमा र स्व० श्री पुन्य ढकालको यातनाका कारण चेमगाङ जेलमा मृत्यु भएको यस्तै अरु धेरै ठाउँबाट शारिरीक र मानसिक रुपले यातना पाएको सुन्दा हृदय छियाछिया भयो। यस दुखद् अवस्थामा मेरो ईश्वरसंग प्रर्थना गर्नुबाहेक अरु केही उपाय थिएन।

घरमा वृद्ध माताजी बिरामी, श्रीमती र नानीहरु दु:ख आपदमा, सहयोग गर्ने कोही हुँदैनथ्यो रे । घरको भाइलाई पनि जेलमा लगिएछ। त्यही समयमा भाइका २ जना पाँच र सात वर्षका बच्चाहरुको मृत्यु भएछ । पक्रन्छ भनेर डरले घरमा कोही देखा पर्दैनथे रे । गाउँमा राखिएका चम्चाले, सैनिकले बोलाउन पठाको भन्ने खबर लिएर आफ्नो घरमा आउँदा बढेकी एउटा छोरी (जसका हातले पञ्चकन्याको रुपमा महाराजधिराज जिग्मे सिङ्गे वाङ्चुकलाई दागापेलामा आफ्नै घरमा आफ्नै हातले उनेको माला र टिका प्रदान गरी स्वागत गरेकी थिइन् ) र छोरा ( वर्तमान राजाको लुङ्तेनजाम्पा स्कुल “मेट” थियो) स्कुलबाट निकालिएर घरमै रहेछ | त्यसरी २ जना छोरा र छोरी आफ्नो ईज्जत र ज्यान जोगाउन आपद-बिपदमा रुँदै रुँदै राती नै भागेर केही दिनमा भारत हुँदै माई नदीको किनारमा आइपुगे ।

त्यसपछि उता श्रीमतीलाई बिमारी नै भए पनि मानसिक प्रताडना दिन धेरै पल्ट जोङ मा बोलाइएछ | भुटान नछोड्ने कुरा गर्दा अन्तमा १० दिनभित्र देश छोडिसक्नू भन्ने आदेस भएछ र खाली हात, वृद्ध माताजी, बिमारी , मसिना नानीहरुसँग रुँदै कराउँदै ४-५ दिनको पैदल बाटो हिँडेर कालिखोला, भारत हुँदै नेपालस्थित शनिश्चरे शिविरमा आइपुगे । सरकारबाट पहिला नै त्यो बजारको घरमा ताला लाग्यो रे, ती सबै डायरी सरकारले हेर्यो होला, ती प्रत्येक डायरी हेर्न हार्दिक अनुरोध गर्दछु । तीन पुस्तासम्म खुन पसिना बगाई आर्जन गरेको श्री सम्पत्ति सर्वस्वहरण भए पनि मेरो जीवनमा विशुद्ध भावनाले जनता र देशप्रति समर्पित भएर गरेको कर्तब्य र भएका भावनाहरु जस्ताको तस्तै तिनै डायरीमा समावेश गरेको थिएँ । आफ्ना कार्यकाल भरिका र अरु पनि जति कागज पत्र थिए, तिथि, मिति , कहाँ ,कहिले , के ,कस्ता इत्यादी इत्यादी। त्यो मेरो निम्ति सबैभन्दा ठूलो सम्पत्ति गुमाउनु परेको सम्झिरहेछु । जीवनमा हरेकका आ-आफ्नै इच्छा हुन्छन् त्यस अन्तर्गत आफ्नो अन्तिम इच्छाको रुपमा रहेको २ वटा मध्ये १, स्व० माताजीको नाउँमा किताव प्रकाशित गर्नु थियो। दागपेलाका धेरै मान्यजन, जसले माताजीलाई राम्ररी जान्दथे , अरु पनि इष्ट मित्रहरुले उहाँको बारेमा यथार्थ लेखहरु लेखिदिनु भएको थियो त्यसलाई उपहार सम्झी किताब प्रकाशित भइसकेको छ। अब रह्यो दोस्रो, भुटानी मातापिता, दाजुभाइ, दिदीबहिनीहरुसँग दु:ख सुख कोपवित्र यात्रा, त्यो ईश्वरको कृपा र ईष्टमित्रहरुको पवित्र भावनाको उपहार, आशिर्वादमा नै सफलता हुनेमा विश्वस्थ छु। यदी मैंले ती डायरीहरु पाउनु हो भने म आफैँले आफैँलाई फर्केर हेर्ने थिएँ कि बिहानदेखि बेलुकीसम्म कस्तो कस्तो सामाजिक कृयाकलाप र जनताप्रति कस्तो दृष्टिकोण र भावनामा दिन बिताए ? केही लेख्न सक्ने थिए । सर्वस्व गुमाएको ठूलो घाउमा मलमपट्टि हुने थियो होला ।

आफ्नो देशलाई प्राणभन्दा प्यारो, राजालाई विष्णु औतार सम्झिने आफू स्वयम्,आफ्ना परिवार साथै दागापेलाका हजारौँ अरु सिधासादा मानिसहरुले के अपराध गरेका थिए ? देशभरिका लाखौं मानिसहरु देशविहिन हुनु पर्यो। धेरैले जेलको यातना भोग्नु पर्यो , देशको निम्ति धेरैले जीवन बलिदान गर्नु पर्यो। याद आउँछ दागानामा राष्ट्रिय दिवस मनाएको दिन कार्यक्रम स्थलमा भेला भएका मानिसहरुकाबीचमा हामी एसेम्ब्ली मेम्बरहरुलाई पनि साथै बोलाएर राजा घुम्दै जाँदा हाम्रा मनिसहरु प्रत्येकले पुष्प, अक्षता, भेटी राजाका हातमा चढाउँदै ढोग्दा, हाँस्तै ” यसरी सबै जनताले पैसा दिए भनेता म त भयङ्कर धनी हुने रहेछु ” राजाले भने । यस्ता श्रद्धाले भरिपूर्ण भएका सिधासादा मानिसहरुले आफ्नो खुन पसिना बगाएको जन्मभूमिमा बाँच्न र दिन पुगेर मर्न पाएनौ हाम्रो राजा भन्दा भन्दै पनि आफ्नै देशमा बस्न पाएनौँ कस्तो विडम्वना ? देश हराभरा बनाएपछि उखान झैँ “काम सर्यो भाँडो, आफल तेरो ठाँडो” भने झैँ भयो ।

१९९० मा राजा र उप-गृहमन्त्रीको दागापेलामा भ्रमण भएको थियो, त्यहाँका प्रत्येक घरका मनिसहरु भेला हुनु पर्ने हुकुम थियो । गोशी स्कुलको मैदानमा, मनिसहरुको अत्यन्तै ठूलो उपस्थितिमा , श्री टेकनथ रिजालज्यूको विरुद्धमा भाषण भयो, पम्प्लेट बाँडियो । जनताकोतर्फबाट सभामा बोल्ने १० जना घुमाई फिराइ छानिएको थियो, जसमा केही मन्डल पनि थिए । आफूलाई त्यसभित्र पारिएन, त्यहाँ जनताको पक्षमा बोल्ने आट गर्नु पनि अति कठिनको कुरा र भयङ्कर वातावरण थियो। तथापि चित्त नबुझी, सत्य र साँचो कुरालाई प्रकट गर्दा जो हुन्छ इश्वर जानुन् भन्ने सम्झी जनप्रतिनिधिको हैसियत हराइ सकेको भए पनि, अन्तिम समयसम्म पनि जनप्रतिनिधिको हैसियत र धर्मलाई पालन गर्दै जस्ताको तस्तै यिनै बिन्ती जवर्जस्ती पाराले बिसाइयो । १) राष्ट्रिय पोशाक बख्खुलाई अफिस र जोङमा मात्र अनिवार्य लागु भए जनताको निम्ति ठूलो कल्याण हुने थियो । २) चुनिडोम र सेप्तोलोमी ( झारा झारलङे ) तिर्दातिर्दै साधारण खेतिवाल मनिसहरुले राम्रो खेती किसानी गर्न पनि पाएका छैनन् । राजनीति के हो तिनीहरु कसैलाई केही थाहा छैन। ३) धेरै जसो मानिसहरुले टेकनाथ रिजाललाई राम्रो चिनेका पनि छैनन् । यस्ता सिधासादा मानिसहरुलाई कुनै प्रकारको प्रताडित नहोस् सरकार ! भनी बिन्ती चडाइयो । आफ्नो वक्तब्यमा दागानाका धेरै मित्रहरु, खिबेसा मण्डल र अरु पनि एकदमै डराएका थिए । आफूसँग कुनै क्लेश थिएन, आफ्नो कर्तब्य र धर्म पालन गर्दा जो होला भन्ने थियो । अन्तमा परिस्थितिवश ज्यान जोगाउन सर्वस्व गुमाएर भाग्नु पर्यो ।

इश्वरले बचाउन त बचाए तर तर कथा ब्यथाले पीडित,देशविहिन भएर १९ वर्षसम्म शरणार्थी शिविरमा कष्टकर दिन बिताएर आफ्नो जन्मभूमि साथै खुन पसिना बगाएको ठाउँ कर्मभूमि भुटान फर्कने आशाले बचेँका दुर्भाग्यवश, आ-आफ्नै डम्फु बजाएर होकी, अन्तर हृदयबाट एकता भई केही गर्न सकेनौ त्यो एउटा परिस्थिति नै भनौँ विकल्पको बाटो लिन बाध्य भएर बिउ छरिए झैँ विभिन्न देशमा छरिन पुग्यौँ ।

सात समुन्द्रपारि नै रहे पनि समुन्द्रले मनलाई रोक्न सक्दैन रहेछ । देशबाट लखेटिएर अश्रुपूर्ण दिनहरु बिताउनु परे पनि, हाम्रा पलामा जन्मभूमि र जनताकै हितमा, समर्पित भएर ल्याएका विकाशका योजनाहरु, खुन पसिना बगाएर हाम्रा मानिसरुले गरेका कामहरु, थालनी गरेका कामहरु, एकदिन जनतालाई सुख होला भनेर ठूलो प्रयासद्वारा भएका पारित विकाशका योजनाहरुको कार्यन्वयन भएको देख्न र त्यसको उपभोग गर्न नपाए पनि, आफ्नो जन्मभूमि तथा देशको माया, भएको प्रगति र त्यहाँका जनताले प्रजातन्त्रको उपभोग गर्दै, सुख, शान्तिले बाँचेको देख्न र सुन्न पाए हुन्थ्यो भन्ने भित्र आत्माले चाहन्छ ।

साथै उपरोक्त विश्वविद्यालयका सम्बन्धमा स्वयं प्रधानमन्त्रीज्यूलाई, सम्पूर्ण जानकारी भएकाले , यो स्वयं राजाको हुकुम थियो, प्रधानमन्त्री श्री जिग्मे वाइ ठिन्लेको वचन थियो । त्यसैले शिक्षामन्त्रीका हैसियतमा ल्यन्पो पौड्याल कै पलामा उक्त विश्वविद्यालय दागपेलामै बनिने छ भन्नेमा प्रतिक्षा गर्न सकियोस् । हेरौँ त्यहाँ साँच्चै प्रजातान्त्रिक परिवर्तन र विकास हुन थालेको हो भने, सुन्दै अनि देख्तै जानेछौँ ।

यसै सिलसिलामा (बि.एन्.एस्) मार्फत प्रधानमन्त्रीज्यूलाई पनि प्रजातान्त्रिक प्रधानमन्त्री हुनु भएकोमा परिस्थितिवश ढिलै भए पनि बधाई दिँदै निर्बासित हामी सम्पूर्ण भुटानीहरु यहाँलाई के अनुरोध गर्छौ भने हाम्रो देशमा धेरै नै परिवर्तन आउँदैछ रे भन्ने सुन्नमा आएकोले , साँच्चै हो भने , देशको माया गर्ने, देशबाट खेदिएका भुटानी जनता जहीँ रहे पनि इच्छा हुनेलाई स-सम्मान आफ्नो देश फर्किने वातावरण बनोस् । सरकारबाट फर्काउने घोषणा गरियोस् । जसले गर्दा भुटान देश , बुद्धको उपदेश , एउटा शान्तिको नमूना बन्नेछ । यदी यो जन्ममा हामीले साँचो न्याय पाउन सकेनौँ भने पनि (जिच मिला रेपाको कथा झैँ) इश्वरको न्यायलयमा अवश्य नै उचित न्याय पाउनेछौँ भन्ने पूर्ण विश्वाश छ । ईश्वरले सबैलाई सदबुद्धि देउन् |

(समाप्त )

श्री चौहान भूटानका पूर्व सांसद हुन् |

A deaf refugee from Bhutan impresses in Canada with her enthusiasm

26,644

Moving half-way across the world to an entirely new country and culture could seem daunting to a deaf teenage refugee from Bhutan.

But Pabi Rizal says it’s the best thing that ever happened to her. And she’ll tell you in English and American Sign Language – both of which she learned in an astonishing three months after she, her parents and two deaf siblings came to the Canadian capital just over two years ago, when she was 18.

Pabi Rizal / Picture : UNHCR

“I believe deaf refugees can do anything hearing people do, except hear,” she says through a sign language interpreter in her Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada classroom at St. Joseph’s Adult School in Ottawa. Clearly excited about being interviewed by UNHCR, she’s exuberant and outgoing, her face only turning sombre when she recalls refugee friends she left behind in the Beldangi camp in eastern Nepal.

After 17 years in a refugee camp of thatched huts – her parents fled Bhutan soon after she was born – Pabi was enormously impressed by things most Canadians likely take for granted.

“Wow, there is electricity everywhere and all the time,” says Pabi, her eyes lighting up at the thought of being able to study at night and use her computer whenever she wants. “Here at school, I keep on being amazed at the flashing fire alarm,” she adds.

At first astonished by the high-tech visual learning aids at her new school, Pabi quickly mastered video phoning. She now uses Skype to train other deaf Bhutanese refugees around the world. She is happy to explain how to use the equipment in the classroom, her enthusiasm inspiring visitors just as electricity illuminates Pabi’s new world.

Pabi and her family are some of the 5,000 Bhutanese refugees from camps in Nepal coming to Canada under a five-year resettlement programme that began in 2007. More than 50,000 refugees have already left camps in Nepal for eight different countries in one of the world’s largest resettlement programmes.

Contrary to public perception, American Sign Language is not related to English, so Pabi had two new skills to learn when she arrived in Canada. But after just three months she did well enough to get a job as a warehouse attendant in a department store in an Ottawa suburb.

She’s grateful for the opportunity to study in the morning and work in the afternoon, and has applied for admission to the Belleville School for the Deaf in hopes of becoming a teacher of others with hearing problems.

Pabi clearly sees her future as lying in this hospitable North American country. “I want to stay in Canada,” she says. “Canada has given me and my family empowerment, equality and respect.”

Courtesy : UNHCR/Gisèle Nyembwe in Ottawa, Canada

Headwind hands over photos to CMC; supports women hunger strikers

26,644

A team from the Headwind, a documentary film on the issue of exiled Bhutanese, handed over a set of large-size 40 photographs depicting camp life to the camp management committee (CMC) of Beldangi camp last week.

The Headwind team hands over photographs to CMC of Beldangi camps

A statement issued Thursday by the Empowerment Foundation (EF) stated that the photographs were handed over to Camp Secretary D.B Subba and his colleagues through a joint effort with the BRAIN (Bhutanese Refugees Association of Intellectual Novas).

The photographs depicting camp life as seen through the lenses of Director and Producer of the film Alice Verheij and Co-director Eveline van de Putte will be available for exhibitions in various places including schools, said the statement.

“On request of the BRAIN representatives, the Headwind production team will make a photo documentary about life of resettled Bhutanese in the Netherlands and bring that exhibition to the camps later this year,” added the statement.

Meanwhile, the Dutch team also supported 12 women, who fasted to death for 12 days in November, with some cash donations that the EF received from the Dutch Nepal Foundation VNN (Vereniging Nederland Nepal).

The Headwind team distributing cash donations to women

“Every individual ex hunger striker received an equal amount of funds meant for food support.”

The Headwind is a project of the Empowerment Foundation that will produce a feature length documentary about the Bhutanese refugee issue, life in the camps and during and after resettlement in the Netherlands.

The documentary film has been privately funded by the Director with support from individuals and the Dutch Refugee Council (Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland).

Third party in Bhutan !

26,644

A new political party is in the offing to contest the general election of 2013. The Social Democratic Party, constituted mostly of former PDP members and the civil servants now serving the government, believes in the social democratic principles as its ideology. Dr Tandin Dorji a member of core group is the main architect of the new party.

Dr Tandin Dorji

The party said it will encourage capitalism or privatization, while looking at the welfare of rural mass in terms of providing the social services. Privatization of health care is a likely agenda for the SDP.

Although, not expecting to form the next elected government, SDP is looking forward to take the opposition that will be much stronger than the two member opposition of today.

It will be a choice for the people who are looking for an alternative, said Tandin Dorji a former PDP member from Punakha.

“It is difficult for the new party to go to the public as there are election and civil service rules which restrict us from going open to the public. Everything had to be done secretly.”

It is not necessary to have Tshogpa, the village representative, according to Tandin. The DPT and PDP have paid Tshogpas and offices in the village level, which led them to be in huge debt, he argued.

The party believes in cultivating a new generation of leaders for bhutan. “We have seen the same old breed of ministers nothing much is done to mentor the new generation leaders,” opined Dr Tandin.

The party is said to be charting out the strategies to run sustainably even without the state funding.

BBS 2 up into satellite ; viewers to watch NA sessions live

26,644

The national television and radio broadcasting unit, Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS,  has launched its second television channel – BBS 2.

With the launch of this channel, viewers can watch sessions of the National Assembly (NA) and National Council (NC) live, Chief Engineer of the television, Rajesh Kafley said.

Mostly targeted to broadcast NA and NC sessions live among citizens, the BBS 2 will broadcast entertainment programses and documentaries on youths and children, according to the management.

Bhutan’s Saviour

26,644

Dr Bhim Bahadur Rai will  bear the weight of  responsibility on his shoulders when he returns to Bhutan at the end of the year after completing a Fellowship in vitreo-retina at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO).

Dr Bhim Bahadur Rai (Picture courtesy : Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology)

He will become the first vitreo-retina specialist in Bhutan and have the challenge of establishing and running retinal services in his country.

As one of just six ophthalmologists in Bhutan, Dr Bhim explains, “while we have been taking care of the general ophthalmological cases, there are lots of patients requiring the services of specialist ophthalmogists”.

“Currently we are referring such patients ex-country which is taxing the government so much”, Dr Bhim said.

He explained that medical services in Bhutan are still largely in the inception stage.

“Vitreo-retina, especially, is such a sub-speciality that no other ophthalmologists dare to venture unless one has had proper training”.

However, Dr Bhim says he’s up for the challenge.

After completing his medical training in India in MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery), Medical Surgery Ophthalmology, SICS (small incision cataract surgery) and Phaco Techniques, Dr Bhim joined the government service in Bhutan as an ophthalmologist.

Dr Rai examines a patient in Tilganga Hospital

He worked for a while at the JDW National Referral Hospital in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, where in 2008, he introduced Phaco Techniques to the country.

In 2009, he transferred to the Eastern Regional Referral Hospital in Mongar.

Dr Bhim said the Government of Bhutan and the Himalayan Cataract Project had been kind enough to sponsor his Fellowship at TIO and a three month Medical Retina program he did at the Moran Eye Centre in Utah, USA.

“I’m especially grateful to my mentors at both Tilganga and the Moran Eye Cente”, Dr Bhim said.

“Whether it be a developed or developing country, diseases like diabetes and hypertension affecting retina, age-related macular degeneration, etc., are a rising trend, which is why I decided to pursue my fellowship in vitreo-retina, in order to serve the needy patients”, he said.

Courtesy : Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology