1. Enterprising Ladakh
Prosperity, Youth Enterprise and Cultural Values in Peripheral Regions
Working Paper No 6
Health & Biotechnology
by
Alok Ramgarhia
Ashish Bag
Center for Development of Corporate Citizenship
S P Jain Institute of Management & Research Mumbai
July 2005
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh
Druk Pema Karpo Educational Society
Drukpa Trust
in association with
SECMOL

2. Preface
This Working Paper was prepared as part of an 18-month project entitled ‘Enterprising
Ladakh’. The Paper seeks to identify economic opportunities available to Ladakhis –
especially young Ladakhis - in local, national and international markets. The findings will
be discussed at a Workshop in Leh in July 2005, with the objective of identifying
economic activities that Ladakhis themselves consider feasible, acceptable and
appropriate within Ladakhi society and values.
Subsequently, the project team will scope the skills and attributes required to access the
preferred market opportunities, while the final stage of the project will outline a new
school curriculum to impart enterprise-related skills and motivation to young Ladakhis,
alongside traditional teaching of cultural and ecological values.
‘Enterprising Ladakh’ is a project being conducted by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill
Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, Druk Pema Karpo Educational Society and Drukpa
Trust, in association with SECMOL.
The findings set out in this Working Paper are the work of Alok Ramgarhia and Ashish
Bag of the Center for Development of Corporate Citizenship, S P Jain Institute of
Management & Research, Mumbai. The work was carried out under the supervision of
Professor Jiban Mukhopadyay, Professor M. S. Rao and Professor Nirja Mattoo (Chair
of the Centre for Development of Corporate Citizenship).
You are kindly invited to communicate your views on this Working Paper to the project
team:
Project Coordinator
'Enterprising Ladakh'
Hemis Complex, Zangsti
Leh, Ladakh -194 101
Phone: +91 94191 77536; 252 133
enterprisingladakh@rediffmail.com
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.
The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Ladakh Autonomous Hill
Development Council, Druk Pema Karpo Educational Society and Drukpa Trust, and
can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European
Union.
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3. Abbreviations
DPKES Druk Padma Karpo Educational Society
DWLS Druk White Lotus School
LAHDC Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
SECMOL Student’s Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh
SRRC Sowa Rigpa Research Center
AMRU Amchi Medicine Research Unit
FRL Field Research Laboratory
LIP Ladakh Institute of prevention
LSF Lharje Sorig Foundation
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4. 1 Health & Biotechnology
The Health & Biotechnology sector in Ladakh can be broadly classified in two parts - the
traditionally existing Amchi medical system and the newly developed Allopathic
medicine.
The Amchi system has been the traditional system, which was the only treatment
method followed before the introduction of the Allopathic system. The system has until
now not been registered by the Indian Medical Council and hence is not officially
recognised.
For the last few years, government has looked after the development of the Allopathic
system in Ladakh. Since the population of Ladakh is a minimal 1,20,000, the
government hospitals are sufficient enough for the requirements of the general public
and hence the possibility of starting a private clinic is not enterprising at this time. Also,
as per the Vision document, the complete focus of government is on development of the
allopathic system and the steps suggested seems to cater to most of the present gaps.
And hence, in this sector we have concentrated on the following four aspects:
1. Medicinal plants and herbs.
2. Amchi medical system.
3. Health Tourism.
4. Ladakh health system in biotechnology.
All the four areas above are linked to the present state of the Amchi system in the
district of Leh as medicinal plants and herbs are mainly used for preparing medicines for
the Amchi system, Health Tourism links to the hydrotherapy treatment and massages
offered by Amchis, and contributions to biotechnology can be done by Amchis to
promote medicinal value of the plants. Hence, we would be mainly focusing on the
current state of the Amchi system and the scope for its sustenance and improvement.
2 A Brief Introduction to the Amchi System
Ladakh is one of the few remaining Himalayan areas where the Tibetan system of
medicine remains undisturbed. This indigenous health-care system plays a major part in
the health-care of Ladakhi communities. Tibetan medicine, known in Ladakh as 'Amchi'
medicine, has usually been passed down from father to son or daughter within the
village. This is known as the rGYUTPA lineage. New 'Amchis' have to take their passing
out examination orally in front of the whole village. Thereby, they are examined by a
panel of respected senior Amchis from surrounding villages. In every village, there are
usually one or sometimes two amchi families.
Many Amchis practice Buddhist astrology and astronomy. These subjects play an
important role within Amchi medical practice, as they do within Ladakhi society in
general. In fact, there is very strong relationship between Buddhist astrology and
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5. Tibetan medicine.
As well as its curative role, Tibetan medicine has played crucial part in preventive
health-care within the villages, emphasising water and spring cleanliness, good diet and
healthy lifestyle practices. In present day, Ladakhi Amchi practice still plays a crucial
role within Ladakhi communities.
There are around 300 Amchis all over Ladakh, who are keeping the old tradition alive.
Most of the Amchis are the sixth generation of unbroken family lineages. They provide
health-care in the villages. No charge is made for treatment, but Amchis are helped by
the villagers with farm work particularly with spring ploughing and autumn harvest.
Occasionally, the villagers collect barley during the harvest and offer it to the Amchi
family. The Amchi doctor holds a high position in Ladakhi society. They are often not
only the medical doctors, but also very strong community leaders. Often they hold the
position of the 'Goba', the head of the village.
It is necessary therefore that this age-old barter system of the Amchi medicine is not
disturbed, but at the same time the younger generation is given alternatives to develop
this system as a business.
3 Methodology Followed
The methodology we adopted was specifically targeted to meet the objectives of the
Health & Biotechnology Sector.
Our Objective was four-fold:
1. To identify the scope of Health & Biotechnology as applicable to Ladakh,
2. To study the Vision document, and its plans for this area, and hence determine
the completeness and justification of the Vision, given the research and
investigation carried out,
3. To establish what the sector in Ladakh could encompass, given the
understanding of the research. This stage would start listing our
recommendations, keeping the viable part of the Vision document as a base,
4. To then ascertain employment opportunities and revenue generators in this
medium with substantial figures, facts, estimates and reliable projections.
In the first phase, groundwork was done in various cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Indore and
Bangalore. The main activity in this phase was directed at understanding the sector as
present in India, the present state of it in Ladakh and thus, the market opportunities for
various business options that could be furthered. The investigations were done through
o Website lookup: Website look up was done to serve the following three
purpose
The websites of various Health Clinics in India were browsed to
understand the kind of treatment that is being provided by these clinics.
The aim was to know about the various medical solutions that are
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6. prevalent today and get an idea about the type of ailment that people
suffer from and seek remedies from these centers.
To find as much about the prevalent health system in Ladakh, the
alternative medicines (Amchi) and the various maladies that it can cure.
Tourism sites would help to know about the prevalence of health and
cultural tourism in various parts of the country and possibility of having
a similar kind in Ladakh (if not already existing).
o Interviews: Personal or telephonic meetings were held with individuals who
are currently known as the ‘Health Kings’ of the country. People from Batra
Clinic, Anjali Mukherji, VLCC etc. were consulted to know about the latest
trends. A personal visit to the Tibetan Medical Institute in Koparkhairne was
also conducted to know about the functioning and effectiveness of the
medicine. Since Tibetan medicine is almost same as the traditional Amchi
Medicine, this helped us to get a preview of the type of solutions provided by
the system for which we were looking for marketing opportunities.
Second phase was conducted in Ladakh. The objective was to understand the situation
first hand, the current situation, and what are the issues and concerns. The interactions
with the people concerned were performed three different ways:
o Interviews: Interviews were conducted with the individuals, Amchi
professionals, doctors, government officials (health), scientists from FRL and
NGOs in the health area.
o Focus group meeting: A focus group meeting with students of Government
Degree College, Leh. The objective of the meeting was to understand the
general know-how of the students, their ideas and aspiration for the future.
Further, these students were communicated with concerning the various
opportunities and the developments happening in other sectors.
o Field visits: It was clear that the actual scenario about Amchis in Leh city was
not the complete picture. Hence, field visits were conducted to nearby villages
to get an idea of what the Amchis and farmers in villages think of the current
situation. Visit to villages like Nimoo, Nurla and Khaltse were conducted to
visit the Amchis working there and know their perspective. Also, an Amchi
from Nubra valley who runs a health center there for Amchi system was
interviewed to get details about the area.
Once all the data and information were collected and the picture of the sector was clear,
a list of recommendations was formed and presented before the concerned audience to
know about their views and incorporate the changes suggested. This Working Paper is
the result.
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7. 4 Status of Traditional Medicine in 20 Years From Now
Until now, the Vision document consists of one single point in the health document
regarding the Amchi system. It is a general statement that says that special emphasis
would be given to preserve the old traditional alternative medicine system of Amchi
medical system.
Amchi Sabha has prepared a detailed vision for Ladakh Amchi medicine system for the
coming 20 years. They have submitted the document to be included in the Vision
document. According to this document, for 2025, Sowa Rigpa or Amchi medicine system
looks at the following status in the next 20 years of time frame.
1 Amchi Medical System
Complete support from Central and State Government.
Expansion of Amchi medical system on national and international level
Major role in every health scheme
Quality education to all the Amchis and option for students to take up Amchi
medicine as a regular full-time course like other medical courses
Availability of books and journals on the Amchi’s age-old knowledge
2 Amchi Medicinal Products
Availability of the certified medicinal products all over India.
Provide good income incentives for farmers to grow medicinal plants.
3 Health Tourism
Establish Ladakh as a major spot for Health Tourism that includes:
Nicely laid setups for the use of Hot springs for the Hydrotherapy treatment for
tourists
Massage centre to use Amchi health massages as health spas to rejuvenate
tourists
A major learning centre for the herbal medicine
Spiritual destination for mental peace
5 Amchi Sabha – Role and Responsibilities
Amchi Sabha is an organisation having more than 300 members (Amchis and
astrologers) who have come together for the benefit of the traditional system. The main
responsibility of the Amchi Sabha is to provide an equal status to the system as
compared to the Allopathic system.
It aims at achieving the following
Provide a recognition to the Amchi System
Be active in the conservation of medicinal herbs
Make people aware of the value of the system and benefits to follow it
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8. Providing support to Amchis
But until now, Amchi Sabha has not been able to bring about any instrumental changes
in the position of the Amchi system because of lack of funds and government support.
The organisation also lacks a clear-cut plan to achieve their decided objectives and
therefore need support from the government. Amchi Sabha can be instrumental in
achieving the Vision objectives if it is properly supported and helped by government.
6 Comparative Advantage of Amchi Medical System
The following qualities of Amchi give it an edge over the Allopathic system:
Cure to Chronic illness (around 401 in number)
Little or no side effects
Not very expensive
Usage of Panchkarma and Hydro therapy
Medicinal plants with great values available in Ladakh
The Amchi system represents the uniqueness of Ladakh because of the above features
and can easily be tapped to provide a differentiating factor to Ladakh’s image and also
earn revenues for the respected community of Amchis.
What needs to be done
The study led us to believe that following are the necessary things that need to be
followed so as to preserve and promote the Amchi medical system and help to develop
entrepreneurial activities from it.
Conservation and Cultivation of herbs: Preservation and cultivation of herbs is
essential for the conservation of the Traditional Amchi system.
1. A cooperative should be established between the Hill Council and Amchi Sabha, to
regularly check on the various conservation programmes going on and provide
support for their success.
2. Amchi Sabha should find out about the abundance of specific herbs in specific
villages and then seek help from the Hill Council to conserve the same, so that each
village is designated for a specific kind of herb.
3. Soil-check at natural places. Check if it is available in Ladakh and if not, make
scientific modifications. FRL can come forward and help in this regard.
Increase in Awareness among Students: Students should be made aware of the
medicinal value of the plants, as they are the ones who will become the next decision-
makers
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9. 1. Student’s interest should be developed and special training should be imparted to
the interested students or Amchi’s. Help of practitioning Amchi’s and institutes like
Men-Tsee-Khang to provide short-term (say 10 days) courses to students.
Commercialisation of Products: The raw materials for the medicines should be sold
commercially instead of just producing for the purpose of local consumption by Amchi’s.
1. Cooperative or the Amchi Sabha to market the herbs in the outside market, where
they can be processed to give medicines. A platform should be provided for the
farmers to sell their herbs either in the local market to Amchi’s or to the outside
market where the processing of medicine takes place (like Dharamsala).
2. Provide certification to the amchi products so that they are authentic outside Ladakh.
3. Seed /root bank to be created for the products so that it can be used to sell as well
as help in preservation of the herbs.
Recognition of the Amchi Practice: The importance of the Amchi system as a cure of
chronic diseases should be used as a platform to appeal to the government to register
the medicine under the Medicine Act.
1. A cooperative to try and get the practice registered with IMC (Indian Medical Council)
is needed. Until the system is registered, it is difficult for the outside tourists to trust
the practice.
2. The Amchi traditional system should not be limited to the local people, instead it
should be publicised as the most effective system for the cure of chronic diseases. If
required, some medical camp should be organised in the other parts of the country
that will help people to know about the system and its effectiveness. This will bring
people to Ladakh not only for visiting the place but for the cure of diseases as well.
3. A part of the health budget should be allocated to the Amchi system, which will help
in the overall development of the system.
Institutionalisation of Amchi Medicine System: A proper college should be
established for the learning of the Amchi system and a degree should be provided. No
one should be allowed to practice Amchi without holding that degree.
1. A lead from the Dharamsala Institute can be taken, which offers a BTMS (Bachelor
of Tibetan Medical System), which is equivalent to an MBBS degree.
Commercialisation of Medicinal Baths as Health Spas (Health Tourism): A lot of
potential lies in the medicinal baths offered by the practice so as to promote it as health
tourism (as is done by Kerala).
1. The cooperative should talk to the Hotel Association so that it also start offering the
health spas offered under the Amchi system. The tours and travels agents should
promote the medicinal baths offered along with the natural beauty that Ladakh offers.
2. The hot springs area in Ladakh should be developed to provide facilities and
comforts to tourists. It should be free of filthy marsh and dirty surrounding. Instead, it
should provide facilities for overnight stay and relaxation for the tourists.
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10. Contribution of Amchi’s in the Development of Biotechnology: The vast knowledge
of Amchis can be used for the future inventions of new, effective medicines.
Amchis can contribute in the area of Biotechnology by helping institutes like FRL to
develop new medicines from the medicinal plants to enhance their effectiveness.
Though there is still a long way to go in this particular area.
Business opportunities
After studying the sector in detail, the following two viable approaches were chosen for
this sector so as to take care of the above requirements.
1. Commercialisation of the Amchi Medical System
The objective of this approach is to make the Amchi Medical System known outside
Ladakh, so that people come to Ladakh for treatment and hence help to generate
income for the Amchis. Currently, the system is being run as a social cause and not as a
commercial programme. Accordingly, Amchi Sabha and LAHDC should together help to
market the Amchi system, both inside and outside Ladakh so that the market for the
system is increased, from the local people, to non-locals and tourists (from both India &
abroad).
The following flowchart summarises the overall benefits that this approach is going to
achieve.
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11. Marketing of
Amchi System
Increased
Commercialisatio
popularity of n and hence
Amchi system income for
Amchis
Government & Increased More Patients – Boost other
public requirement of more drugs benefits – like
understands Amchis hydrotherapy and
importance Panchkarma
Market for
Institutionaliza Medicinal herbs
Easy to get Increased
– so more
recognition tion of Amchi Health Tourism
conservation
Easy to certify Processing plants
Amchi Products to satisfy the
increased demand
and hence a
standard
Potential Market:
The audience for this market would be the patients who have lost confidence in
Allopathic and who look for an alternative cure in Ayurvedic or Homeopathic medicine.
With the rise of Tibetan medicine, Amchi medicine sure has a potential market.
National Market: The Indian market will include a lot of not so old people (in the age
group of around 40-55 who already suffer from problems of persistent backache,
Asthma, Leukemia etc. The possibility of very old people (above 60) coming to Ladakh
for treatment is less, because there is a general notion among the old age people in
India that Ladakh is a tough place to go to and you need to be completely fit and fine to
be there. And hence the target audience is limited to the above age group.
International Market: Traditional medicine is very popular among the foreigners. One of
the Amchis in village Nurla also gives lessons about the medicine to places in Europe
and entertains a lot of audiences. There is a possibility of a lot of people from abroad
coming to Ladakh for treatment if proper facilities and medicines are made available.
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12. Besides, they are accustomed to such cold and harsh climate and hence they would
also not find it a difficult place to come by and hence provide a potential market.
Marketing Strategy: Marketing is the most important aspect in the commercialisation of
the Amchi medical system. Right now, people outside Ladakh do not even know about
the Amchi system. They do not even know that there exists a system that is an answer
to a lot of their problems. The various possible options that can be taken for this purpose
are:
Organisation of 3 day medical camps outside Ladakh so that people know about
Amchi. These camps will aim at promoting the system along with providing
consultation to those in need. Once diagnosed, these people can be given a
brochure giving the details of the treatment offered and the name of the contact
person in Ladakh.
An article about what the system all about needs to be available in popular
magazines and journals.
The tourists coming to Ladakh can be informed about this system along with the
cultural richness and scenic beauty of Ladakh (probably a pamphlet can be kept
in all the hotels).
For foreign publicity, a tie up with an NGO is required, which can tell people about
this alternative medicine and, if required, some representatives from Ladakh can
conduct some awareness sessions.
Of course, the Amchi medical system needs to have a dedicated site that would
be regularly updated by Amchi Sabha to tell people about the system and the
latest developments.
Economic Feasibility: The complete marketing as defined above is not possible
without the help of government. There needs to be a fixed budget allocated for the
Amchi System and a part of it should be given to some cooperative (Amchi Sabha or
some other active agency), who can utilise this money and take responsibility to carry
out the marketing of Amchi. It is not possible for a single individual or a group of
individuals to go ahead and make the Amchi System famous. The initial thrust has to be
provided by the government.
Once the system is known to the outside world, it will work like any other medical system
and the only requirement would be a regular supply of medicinal herbs and hence,
economically, that is the only investment (no other kind of instruments or complex
machines are required to set up a clinic). And hence, if there are enough patients, there
should be no problem of economic viability.
Time Frame: A time frame of 2-3 years is sufficient enough to generate inflow of
patients if the marketing strategy is religiously followed
Implementation.
As is clear, in order to make this recommendation a success, there needs to be a
partnership between the private and the public sector.
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13. Public Sector (LAHDC): The initial effort has to come from government so as to publicise
the system and establish its image outside Ladakh. They have to take up the ownership
of making Amchi Sabha known outside the world of Ladakh.
Private Sector (Amchis): A cooperative like Amchi Sabha needs to help government to
carry out the above efforts. They would be the actual working people where the
government would be giving the financial support mostly. Once the system is known
and patients start trickling in, each Amchi would be working on it as a normal medical
practitioner and they will carry it forward.
2 Emphasis on Health Tourism
Health Tourism is an upcoming form of tourism that is gaining its roots in various parts of
the world. The example of Kerala and other such places state that it basically includes
hydrotherapy and oil massages. And Ladakh is abundant in both these terms. Areas like
Panamic Valley or the Chumathang region that have hot springs should be developed to
provide hydrotherapy to patients suffering with long-term illness and simultaneously a
health centre to provide oil massages and baths through Panchkarma technique should
be started. This will give a boost to both the Amchi System and also the tourism of
Ladakh.
The following diagram clearly specifies the importance of Health Tourism in bringing
about changes:
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14. Start of Health Tourism
Increased number
More tourists and more
of Health conscious
income for all the sectors
tourists
of Ladakh
More people get to Increased More health Tourism
know and use requirement of Tourists – more drugs
benefits of Amchi Amchis for
providing therapies
Market for Medicinal herbs – so
more conservation
Increased
publicity for the Institutionalisati
system on of Amchi Processing plants to satisfy the
increased demand and hence a
standard pharmacy
Potential Market: The market for Health Tourism is both national and international.
Initial efforts were made to take the tourists there, but failed because of poor
infrastructure. The best part with this market is that it is a completely unexplored one as
far as Ladakh tourism is considered, and there would not be any common tourists
between the existing tourists and the new targeted ones.
National Market: The Indian market will include all the tourists who make their way to
Kerala for the Ayurvedic massages and backwaters. At present this number is
somewhere nearby 0.5 million per year. Similarly, there are tours in Rajasthan also for
massages.
International Market: 77% tourists of Ladakh are from outside India and maximum
number of tourists attracted to cultural tourism also constitute foreigners. Hence the
possibility of tourists trying out anything new will also be mostly from outside only.
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15. Marketing Strategy:
The main voice of tourists outside Ladakh is through travel agents. So well
designed pamphlets or brochures about the new package of Health Tourism
should be provided to each and every travel agent offering Ladakh packages and
Kerala Backwater packages, so that they are available for interested people.
An article about the new discovered treasure of Ladakh should be published in
prominent travel magazines and a daily so that the target audience knows it.
An internal promotion to the tourists who come during the main season should be
done so that the word of mouth publicity can help to market the new concept.
Economic Feasibility:
Initial Investment
Investment for the development of a health Center
Cost Incurred
(Panamic Region in Nubra)
S No. (in millions)
1 Bathrooms for gents and ladies (around 11) 1.1
2 Kitchen for preparation of food. 0.2
3 Ladies dormitories 0.4
4 Facility for stay (two big halls – one for each sex) 0.6
5 1 swimming pool 1
6 Oil Massage Center 0.4
Total 3.7
Also an initial investment of Rs 0.4 million would be required for Marketing Strategy.
Returns per season
Returns expected per Annum
S No. (Panamic Region in Nubra) In Rs
1 Total Number of Tourists every season 5000
2 Charge per tourist 1000
3 Cost of Maintenance 300
4 Total Receipts 5000* (1000-300) 3500000
5 Salaries of Amchis and Admin Staff 540000
Total Revenues 2960000
The total contribution comes to be 2.96 million per year. So the person breaks even in
1.42 years.
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16. (The above calculations need to be refined once the actual implementation takes place,
but still the deviation from the rough estimate should not be much).
Time Frame: A time frame of 1 year is sufficient enough to establish the facility if
someone religiously takes up the job.
Implementation: The project is well within the range of an entrepreneur (private sector)
to take this as a project and hence with minimal government involvement, this project
can be carried forward by an entrepreneur or an NGO.
Classification
As time frame makes it clear, the approach 1 is a long term one, constituting a time of 2-
3 years, while approach 2 can be implemented if started by the start of next season.
Impediments:
The major impediments for the success of the Amchi System can be listed as follows.
1. Recognition: Amchi medicine is not recognised by the government as a medical
system and it has been excluded from all due share enjoyed by other medical
systems. Due to this, the District Health Budget allocated to Amchis is as good as
nil and all the money sanctioned goes in the development of the Allopathic
system.
2. Lack of standardised education: There is no professional educational institution
for providing formal training of the system. Most of the Amchis learn the system
from their father and are certified to practice in the village once they pass a test in
front of a group of Amchis. The only certification available is the one affiliated to
the Tibetan medical system which hardly anyone goes for.
3. Lack of infrastructure: The areas in and around hot springs in places like
Panamic, Chumathang and Puga valley are not developed. A few tourists who go
there have to clean the place before they can take bath in hot water. There are no
bathrooms or toilets or even guesthouses nearby. The places lack even the basic
infrastructure and hence it is impossible to provide hydrotherapy treatment to the
diseased there.
Besides, there are many other issues like conservation of medical plants and
endangered species, lack of know-how among people, lack of standard pharmacy etc.
but if the above three are taken care of and the approach is followed properly, these
would be automatically eradicated.
Recommendations for LAHDC: The main task in front of LAHDC is to get the Amchi
System recognised. This is the first and foremost for the sustenance of the system.
Besides the following needs to be done
Help to implement the first approach by marketing of Amchi System.
Work with CIBS to get the amchi education standardised.
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17. Provide a budget allocation for Amchis so that the system can be developed.
Stop the smuggling of medicinal herbs so that they can be legally sold and an
incentive provided to farmers for conservation of herbs.
Develop infrastructure and transport facilities in and around the hot springs.
Further Plan of Action: Get the two approaches approved and detail out the business
plan for them. Government should start working on the first approach and the second
plan should be handed over to an enthusiastic entrepreneur who can carry that forward
with success.
Conclusion: The Amchi System is a good source of alternative medicine and has
proven its worth. There is no doubt about its capability and this will be enhanced by
getting it registered under the Medical Act and providing it a stable platform so that it can
sustain in future and provide a source of revenue for the Amchis and the coming
generation. This sector will prove as a major source of economic development for
Ladakh.
Learning from the Project
1) The Amchis like all doctors practice medicine, but they also practice untainted loyalty
to their patients, taking in return minimal fees. This makes their ministering that much
more qualitative - and in effect proving that health is not only the best wealth but also
the only wealth.
2) At the heart of a good treatment there lies more than just pills and bottles - carried
down health wisdom over centuries administered with pure warmth often works
better than modern prescriptions.
3) Ladakh is the land of miracles - miracles in natural beauty, in human warmth, in
wildlife, in culture, in tradition, in co-existence, and in survival. The miracle yet to be
explored though is the greatest miracle of them all - the miracle of life that can be
restored by the Ladakhi herbs and medicines hidden in the rainshadows of the
Himalayas and in the minds of the Amchis.
4) Economically behind maybe, but Ladakhis know the rulebook of happiness in and
out. And we learn from them that knowing the secret of happiness is knowing the
secret of good health.
References
• http://www.enterprisingladakh.org
• http://leh.nic.in/default.htm
• http://www.drukpa.org/index.htm
• http://www.eleves.ens.fr/home/ymichel/SECMOL/welcome.htm
• http://www.men-tsee-khang.org/
• http://pro.wanadoo.fr/tansen/bioethics/amchi/tsewproj.htm
• http://www.jcrows.com/med.html
• Medical & aromatic plants of the Himalayas, Brochure by Pragya
• Health profile of District Leh, IEC Wing of health Department, Leh
17

18. • Medicinal plants and conservation: issues and approaches, Alan Hamilton
• The Ladakh Health and Environment Policy, 2005-2025, vision document
• Sorig Herbal Products The Tibetan heritage, Men-Tsee-Khang
• “Sowa-Rigpa”: Himalayan art of healing, Padma Gurmat, AMRU, Leh
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Enterprising Ladakh has been a revelation, not just in terms of the project work, but also
with regards to the living conditions, climate and the culture. During our stay for a month,
the absence of certain basic amenities that we take for granted back here at home
showed us the true facet of human endurance and its vitality. The strength and grit of
Ladakhis, in the face of hostile climate and topography, made us realise the value of the
comfort and ease of our own lives. We are honoured that we were given an opportunity
to work in such an important project. We sincerely hope that our efforts bring in the
desired result and contribute to the region’s economic development.
We are thankful to Mrs. Nirja Mattoo, Chairperson – Center for Development of
Corporate Citizenship for giving us this opportunity to work for development of Ladakh.
The experience of working with senior officials of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development
Council, Leh specially Mr. Jigmet Takpa has been enriching and has contributed to our
own personal knowledge.
We are also grateful to Prof. Jiban Mukhopadhaya and Prof. M.S. Rao for their timely
intervention and insightful comments. Their ideas gave us a fresh direction to think
about and hence contributed in providing a holistic view.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Mr. Hasnain, Coordinator– Enterprising
Ladakh for his support and encouragement. Without his guidance, it would have been
difficult proceeding in any direction.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Namgyal, Chief, Animal
Husbandry Department, LAHDC, Leh. He has been the perfect host and made our stay
as comfortable as it could get. His contacts in the government circles helped us
immensely in getting appointments and data, without which we would have been left in a
lurch.
Finally, we would like to thank our colleagues for being good teammates and giving us
timely support and help.
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