For the first time in Zanskar, a free medical camp will be organised by Asoka Mission from July 24-28 at Community Health Center (CHC), Padum.

A team of 12 super-specialist doctors from AIIMS from the departments of Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Gastroenterological Cancer, Oncology Anesthesiology and Palliative Medicine, Neurosurgery, Gynaecology, Endocrinology, Orthopaedics, and General Medicine will conduct the medical camp.

Asoka Mission has been providing charitable medical care to the people of Ladakh for the last 30 years by organising free annual medical camps in Leh and Kargil, and facilitating super-specialist treatment for patients from Ladakh at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), New Delhi for cancer and other serious diseases. 

Tashi Motup Kau, General-Secretary, Asoka Mission said, “Over the past years, there has been a demand for organising a medical camp in Zanskar because of the extremely poor state of healthcare there. This year, despite the ongoing Covid situation, Asoka Mission will be organising its first free medical camp in Zanskar.”

“The people in Zanskar are requested to avail the opportunity of receiving free medical check-up, consultation, and medicines at the upcoming medical camp”, he added.

Zanskar is a remote region of Ladakh which remains cut off from the rest of Ladakh throughout the winters. It is located at a higher altitude than other regions of Ladakh, making it one of the coldest areas of Ladakh. Due to its remoteness and harsh climatic conditions, the people of Zanskar live a hard life and have far fewer facilities than the rest of Ladakh. The situation of healthcare is especially poor in Zanskar. People from Zanskar usually come to Leh for medical treatment, which is not easy as they have to travel over a long distance through difficult terrain. 

In recent years, cases of complex and life-threatening diseases like cancer, cardiological and neurological diseases have increased in Zanskar and Ladakh generally. For such diseases, advanced and super-specialist medical treatment is required, which is not available in Ladakh.