On the eve of the Sharchop Losar (New Year), I convened the first Board Meeting of the year for Bhutan Stroke Foundation where we welcomed the new Executive Director, Rinchen Khandu — who was formerly a teacher and university lecturer, and the Project Manager, Tandin Chogyel.

We also created a space in the foundation for the founder and former Executive Director, Dawa Tshering. He will continue as Advisor and Goodwill Ambassador on pro-bono. In the organizations I lead, I have begun to honour those who have come before us by assigning emeritus and advisory roles. And not to simply write them off. Besides, Dawa’s story is the story of the Foundation. After his wife got a stroke, he decided that no one should go through what he went through. Isn’t this inspiring?

What does the Foundation do?

The Bhutan Stroke Foundation fills the gap between the clinical services provided by the state and the time people make a full recovery. From the day they are declared out of danger till they are fully reintegrated to the society it takes between six months to two years.

For those in the higher socio-economic status, things are okay. They manage. But for economically distressed families and rural folks, having a stroke patient at home suddenly turns life into hell. Their livelihood is hampered, career is disrupted, and their full recovery is not guaranteed. Only those who face this know the gravity. The government cannot reach everywhere and to everyone. We must do our bit.

We pride ourselves as a Buddhist nation, and make happiness our brand. But Buddhism is not about seeking happiness. It is about removing or helping remove the causes of suffering. In the words of His Eminence Zuri Rinpoche, there is no greater Dharma than helping someone in distress and living a life of hell. As a pop song goes, heaven is a place on earth. So is hell. What the foundation is doing is putting Buddhism into practice.

For me, with two spiritual projects at GMC on my shoulders, I am hard-pressed for time and energy. But, thinking of all the suffering, I just decided that I need to find both and keep going with this.

In gratitude.

As we welcome the new year, we would like to thank Zuri Rinpoche for keeping us afloat by granting us the Endowment Fund of Nu. 4 million. We thank our two other spiritual patrons – His Highness and Eminence Kathok Situ Rimpoche of Kathok Yoesel Samtenling Monastery ཀཿཐོག་འོད་གསལ་བསམ་གཏན་གླིང་དགོན་སྡེ། and Her Eminence Dorje Phagmo Rimpoche, whose donations and blessings keep us all safe and strong.

We thank the Government of India for supporting projects for the CSOs, including the BSF, and all the individual donors and friends in Japan, Italy, Australia and in the US.

2025 has been a fairly successful year for BSF where we consolidated a small young foundation and made our presence by reaching out to 10,000 people in 13 Dzongkhags through advocacy programs. For the first time, the foundation didn’t close the year in red.

Looking ahead.

ADVOCACY. We will continue to create awareness about stroke and cardiac arrest, which is no longer a disease of the elderly. Incidences of stroke now affect people as young as 12. Cases have skyrocketed after Covid-19. Everyday there is one or more people admitted in Thimphu hospital from stroke. Noticing the signs and symptoms is crucial. Prevention is the key. Check the health advice in the footnotes.

POST-STROKE CARE. Our centre in Thimphu continues to host some 20–30 people who are recovering and slowly reintegrating back to the society. People from rural areas are often rushed to Thimphu in an ambulance in a medical emergency. And once they are declared out of danger, they are discharged and shown the Exit door. Many don’t know where to go. They don’t know where to stay to continue with physiotherapy sessions and treatment that can go on for months. Some don’t even have extra clothes or money. We try to help all the cases. To respect their privacy, we don’t splash them on Facebook. We don’t take selfies when we rescue patients from the hospital doors. We don’t show off feeding the sick.

NEW CENTRES. In the coming years, we look forward to creating three more such centres for post-stroke care and information — in Gelephu, Mongar and Trashigang. We are aware of many stroke patients in villages without proper care – lying in bed for years – some with bad bedsores. Hopefully we can reach out to them.

Furthermore, the need for such centres will only increase with one fifth of the population living overseas and ageing parents left on their own here.

Looking forward to all your goodwill and support.