Sakya Mobile Clinic was created with a mission to provide the best quality health care including medical, vision and dental to all spiritual leaders, who selflessly devote their lives to serve others. Upon our research, we found out that 60-80% of Buddhist monastic sangha do not have any form of medical, dental, or vision insurance in the United States.
One day, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk (Thay QT) in Louisville, Kentucky, called us from the ER. He developed significant lower quadrant pain for the past day and the pain persisted despite home remedy. After a quick interview, I was very concern for appendicitis. Within one hour later, they wheeled him to the OR. The appendix was ruptured in the surgeon’s hand as he cut it out. Luckily the operation went well. Thay recovered quickly though the greatest fear entered his mind. He started to come back to his breathing. He called us again. Without any form of medical insurance, the hospital bills of 20K dollars would be a nightmare for any patient. Thay has limited income , or to say the truth, he had no income. Room and board was paid for by the temple. He was there to provide free services and free counseling to anyone in need. Through that story, we vowed to open a free clinic one day to support these spiritual leaders – taking care of their medical need and provide them the best health to continue on the path of serving humanity. Hence, Sakya Mobile Clinic was created!
Since 2013 until today, we have provided care to more than 4000 monastic sangha in the US and Viet Nam during our humanitarian mission trip. Below is the schedule for a typical mobile clinic day for the sangha. If your local temples, churches or mosques ever need the help, please do not hesitate to contact us for a service. We also hope that you will continue to support our mission and volunteer with us one day to serve this wonderful selfless population.
Sakya Mobile Clinic I
Location Universal Buddhist Temple
Date of Event : 21 -22 of June, 2013
Volunteer Shifts: Friday June 21 from 1700-2100
Saturday June 22 from 0600-1200 (morning)
Saturday June 22 from 1200-1800 (afternoon)
Friday, June 21
1700: Set up
1900: Presentation – “How to obtain medical insurance in the US?”
2000: Register / Clinic appointment
Saturday, June 22
0600: Morning volunteer check in
0630: Orientation and Mindfulness session
0730-1230: First health services session (***see details)
1200: Afternoon volunteer check in
1230: Orientation and Mindfulness session
1200-1300: Lunch
1230-1800: Second health services session (***see details)
1800: Dinner/refreshment 1900: Clean up
June 2013: Sakya Mobile Clinic I – North Hill, California
July 2013: Sakya Mobile Clinic II – Houston, Texas
March 2014: Sakya Mobile Clinic III – Houston, Texas (200 patients)
2015 Sakya Mobile Clinic IV – An Giang, Viet Nam (500 patients)
2015 Sakya Mobile Clinic V – Dong Thap, Viet Nam (500 patients)
2016 Humanitarian Mission 2 – Gia Lai, Viet Nam (200 patients)
2016 Humanitarian Mission 2 – Binh Dinh, Viet Nam (400 patients)
2016 Humanitarian Mission 2 – Dong Nai, Viet Nam (400 patients)
2017 Sakya Mobile Clinic VI – Sa Dec, Viet Nam (500 patients)
2018 Humanitarian Mission 3 – Vinh Trang, Viet Nam (120 patients)
2018 Humanitarian Mission 3 – Dong Thap , VietNam (400 patients)
2019 Sakya Mobile Clinic VII – San Diego, California (expected 300 patients)