In the lofty heights of Ladakh, where the air is crisp and the winters unforgiving, a silent symphony of resilience and compassion plays out against a backdrop of breathtaking landscapes. This is a place where temperatures plummet to -36°C, and the world outside seems to disappear for six months each year, as treacherous mountain roads become impassable due to snow and fierce winds. In this isolation, emergencies take on a different meaning. When the need for urgent medical attention arises, residents embark on a perilous journey, often covering more than 500 kilometers by flight to seek healthcare. This is the daunting reality faced by Ladakh's high-altitude community, caught between the challenges of extreme living conditions and the isolation imposed by nature.
Amidst this harsh terrain, Thupstan Chogyal, a Ladakhi Buddhist monk, observed a community grappling not just with the harshness of nature but also with the lack of accessible healthcare. The Ladakh Heart Foundation (LHF) was born out of a profound understanding of the dire health risks faced by the high-altitude residents residing between 3,000-5,000 meters. Thupstan Chogyal's journey to transform this reality began in 1997 when he witnessed the heartbreaking plight of young children with Rheumatic Heart Disease at the Ladakh Buddhist Vihara in Delhi. These children had travelled all the way from Ladakh in search of medical treatment, highlighting the critical need for healthcare facilities in their homeland.
The Ladakh Heart Foundation swiftly became a beacon of hope, conducting multiple outreach, awareness, and education programs across the region's remotest areas. Education and awareness emerged as crucial pillars of their mission, teaching the community about heart diseases, cervical cancer, hepatitis, and more. Today, Ladakh has successfully eradicated Rheumatic Heart Disease, a preventable disease that nevertheless plagued the region. Recognising the prevalence of Congenital Valve Defect amongst children born in high altitudes, the Foundation organised for doctors from AIIMS to perform 200 free surgeries.
The foundation then turned its attention to the prevalence of stomach cancer and initiated both research and diagnostics within the community. Today, a general hospital in Leh provides free diagnostics and treatments to the entire community, in addition to providing equipment needed by the differently abled free of cost, if the person cannot afford it. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, LHF once again stood tall, transforming their hospital into a COVID care facility to support the Leh district administration.
Over the years, the Ladakh Heart Foundation has conducted more than a hundred heart surgeries, treating over 700 patients each month. These surgical interventions, combined with their outreach programs, underline the foundation's commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare to Ladakh's resilient population. For the Ladakh Heart Foundation and Thupstan Chogyal, the goal post is always moving to whatever the community needs next.
A remarkable aspect of this transformative journey is the selfless contribution of retired doctors and nurses who volunteer their time and expertise. These dedicated individuals, often working for a nominal fee or completely pro bono, form the backbone of Ladakh Heart Foundation's compassionate care. Their generosity extends beyond hospital walls, as they traverse remote villages for awareness campaigns and medical camps, ensuring that even the farthest corners of Ladakh receive vital health information and services.
To honour stories of resilience, compassion, and transformative impact like Thupstan Chogyal and the Ladakh Heart Foundation, AU Small Finance Bank presents Badlaav Humse Hai Season 2, in association with Network18. Just like the first season, Season 2 celebrates 25 stories that showcase changemakers whose unsung work has helped carve out cultural identities for communities, lifted them out of poverty; created access where only barriers existed; shown communities how to work with nature to create true sustainability; changed hearts and minds about othered communities; changed the lives of many through economic, social or educational empowerment, and much, much more.
Watch Season 2 of Badlaav Humse Hai for more stories like this one. You may also catch up on all the wonderful stories from Season 1
Moneycontrol Journalists were not involved in the creation of the article.
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