1. The Central Council of Tibetan Medicine (CCTM) The Central ...

colleges and universities who fulfill the requirements laid down in the
guidelines. This will improve and act as a control of the qualification of
traditional Tibetan physicians.
Accreditation Program
Until 2004, none of Traditional Tibetan physicians have been registered under any licensing
authority. Our colleges and pharmaceutical units are also not registered, despite their high level
of proficiency. Therefore, the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine aims to register all medical
colleges, pharmaceutical units and traditional Tibetan medicine practitioners over time through its
registrar appointed by the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine.
In order to accomplish this task, the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine has prepared
registration forms and guidelines for the registration of physicians, academic Institutions, and for
the production of herbal medicine.
Members of CCTM
The members of the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine are elected by Traditional Tibetan
Physicians from different part of India, Nepal and West under the supervision of the Health
Department, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala, Indai.
The Central Council of Tibetan Medicine is now the apex body of all traditional
Tibetan physicians in Exile, established under the Charter commissioned by the
Assembly of Tibetan Peoples Deputies, Government of Tibet in Exile with the
final approval by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Central Council of Tibetan
Medicine has taken on responsibility for the promotion and preservation of
Tibetan Medicine as well as for the welfare of traditional Tibetan physicians.
The Central Council of Tibetan Medicine consists of five physicians from Men-Tsee-Khang
(TMAI) Dharamsala, including one reserved seat for the personal physician to His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, and four private physicians, including one reserved seat for the physicians of Bon
medical tradition and one allopathic physician appointed by the Department of Health, Central
Tibetan Administration, Tibetan Government in Exile.
2. Introduction to the History of Tibetan Medicine
Since the time immemorial when the life first came into existence, and during the
course of its evolution, the homo-sapiens had to face mammoth task of
protecting and maintaining their existence in the face of severe environmental
upheavals and constant threat to their survival and struggle to prevail in the so
called Darwin’s theory of ‘survival of the fittest’ situation. With it, the knowledge of
life and method to protect it as part of the survival factor has thus, naturally and
spontaneously, evolved in tandem.
Accordingly, the Tibetans too, since its early existence, has to come to know
about various crude and primitive style of treatments like drinking boiled hot
water against indigestion, putting molten butter over the wounds to stop bleeding,
pasting of barley residual Chang extract over the swelling and inflammation of
the limbs etc.
The history of the growth of Tibetan Medicine (Sowa-rigpa) can be explained and
understood clearly and conveniently under two broad categories; The growth of
Tibetan Medicine during the prehistoric Bon Era, and the history of Tibetan
medicine after the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet.