Primary Care

Surmang Foundation operates a high-quality primary clinic in the Surmang region of Qinghai, China. It was the Foundation's first major project and remains at the core of our other initiatives. Since construction was finished on our clinic facilities in 1996, we have treated more than 70,000 patients for free.

History

The clinic project has proven an enduring success over its nearly 15-year history, improving the lives of thousands of people. Housed initially in local Buddhist monasteries and Tibetan yak-wool tents, the clinic began as little more than a seasonal and volunteer effort to provide at least a basic degree of medical care for the people of Surmang.

In 1993, ground was broken for SF's current clinic, with the beginning of our historic partnership with provincial and local authorities - SF was the first international foundation to work in Qinghai. Inspired by traditional Tibetan architecture, the clinic is a model of sustainable design, with heat-generating two-meter thick walls and volcanic-ash insulation. With short summers and the need to import nearly all supplies outside of the locally available stone and wood, the construction took nearly three years.

After construction was finished and the campus opened its doors in 1996, the clinic initially remained a summer effort, when the mountainous region thawed enough for volunteers to make the multi-day trek to Surmang. In 2000, however, with an eye towards a more sustainable and grassroots solution to rural healthcare, Surmang Foundation acquired the services of two local, ethnically Tibetan doctors.

Phuntsok Dongdrup and Sonam Drogha, SF's resident doctors, have seen the clinic develop into a year-round primary care center, offering an increasing array of quality healthcare. The clinic now bustles with activity throughout the year, treating nearly 40 patients daily, with ailments ranging from broken bones to prenatal checkups to recessed teeth. Drs. Phuntsok and Drogha and the clinic are an important and valued element of Surmang society - one that did not exist before.

Regional Medicine

A unique feature and important learning of our Surmang clinic is that it sits at the historic, cultural, and geographic center of the surrounding region. This means that we see patients from not only Surmang, but also from across the river in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and from other neighboring valleys that otherwise lack facilities.

By treating these politically separate communities as one larger catchment, we are able to offer lower cost and higher quality medical care to a greater number of people than would otherwise be possible. Such an approach allows us to overcome the low population densities and inefficiencies that make rural healthcare unattractive to many governments and aid organizations.

Looking Towards the Future

As the SF clinic grows into its role as regional medical hub, it is clear that it is outgrowing its current facilities. In the foreseeable future, leveraging our experience at Surmang, we plan to expand our clinic into a regional medical center and partner with our sister organization, Amara, to help develop the Surmang-model into a replicable prototype.

** Insert Photo of architectural drawing/flash video prepared by Beibei **

For more information about the Foundation's emerging partnership with Amara: The Rural China Health Alliance, please click here.