The Sustainable Village- Surmang Clinic Projects

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Surmang Foundation - Tibet

Surmang Clinic Projects : Summary

What is the project ?
The Surmang Clinic Projects are a cooperative development project between The Surmang Foundation and the governments of Yushu County and Qinghai Province. Its goals are 1) to build two primary care medical clinics; 2) to train
local medical professional and 3) to bring medical care to the nomads and farmers of Surmang.

Where is it located?
The project is located in Xiao Surmang Township, Yushu County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, P.R. China. It is an area that is 99% ethnic Tibetan.

How big are the clinics?

The main clinic is 800 sq. meters and the smaller clinic is 400 sq. meters.

What special features do the clinics have?

The clinics are constructed with local labor, using traditional Tibetan design. In addition they will use a high passive solar gain design. Extensive local participation means that FOS believes that instilling confidence among the Surmang Khampas in their cultural traditions is as important a goal as revitalizing their healthcare.

Why Xiao Surmang Township?
Yushu County is possibly the poorest county in China, giving it one of the lowest living standards in the world. Average annual income is less than 500 yuan Renminbi. Xiao Surmang Township is the poorest of the 6 townships of the county.
90% of the Surmang Tibetans are nomadic yak herders who have had no access to regular medical care until now. In contrast to suburban Tianjin and Shanghai, major cities in east China, have more than two doctors, but the average number of doctors in Tibetan villages is 0.37, with three-quarters of them graduates of primary school only.

Why?
Because Surmang is a crosssection of Tibet society. There are few roads and no cars in this remote mountain region. The nomads are scattered over vast green highland meadows during the warmer weather. Because during the season when the people are most centralized in villages, the region is virtually shut down due to 2 snowed-over 17,000 ft. passes. Because they have no access to health care.

How does this project make a difference?
The project has the philosophy that without the active participation of the people involved and without acknowledging their traditional culture, it is impossible to help the Surmang Khampas. Although FOS is an active partner with the Chinese Government (Yushu County & Qinghai Province), the real success of the project will be measured in terms of the participation of the people who use the facility. To that end we have created a governning board consting of local leaders who can direct the future of the project. This is one of the first time a foreign NGO has ever been in the region. It is also the only community development project in which the contributing partner has complete control over aquisition, design and hiring.

What has been the response?
The response has been quite enthusiastic. Phase II was completion of construction last summer (1995). The clinics will formally open in 1997.

Who supports this project?
The main funding has come from Misereor, as well as the governments of Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, UNICEF, Project HOPE and several private contributions.

From the inception of the Surmang projects, Our founder Steve Troy has worked on projects with Surmang including a solar powered medical clinic and school. This will be their 8th year of providing health care and the third year for the school.

More information on the Surmang Foundation