Dr. Tsewang Yishey Pemba (5 June 1932 – 26 November 2011) MBBS (London) FRCS was the first Tibetan to become a doctor in western medicine, and to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.[1] He founded the first hospital in Bhutan. He is also credited for writing the first work of fiction by a Tibetan in English, "Idols on the Path",[2] published in 1966, and is also regarded as the first Tibetan to publish a book in English, "Young Days in Tibet",[3] published by Jonathan Cape in 1957.[4]
Dr. Pemba was born in 1932 in Gyantse, Tibet. His father was Rai Saheb Pemba Tsering, a prominent member of the British Political Office having served as British Trade Agent.[5] The Pemba family had also made Gangtok their home, living in the residence of the late Tashi Tsering, President of Sikkim State Congress.[6]
Tsewang "Yishy" Pemba had no formal education until the age of nine when he started in 1941 at Victoria Boys School in Kurseong where he was until 1948. Decades later he wrote about his experience.[7] In 1949 he went to read Medicine at London University at University College and University College Hospital. In 1955, Tsewang Pemba graduated with an M.B. and BSc degrees, the first Tibetan student to receive British medical qualifications. He then was recruited by the future Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji, to establish that country's first hospital and worked in Bhutan from 1956 to 1958. In 1959, Dr. Pemba moved to Darjeeling where he worked until 1965 for Dooars and Darjeeling Medical Association Hospital (DDMA) run by the Indian Tea Association when he also looked after the Tibetan Refugee School and the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center.[8] In 1959, the uprising in Lhasa, Tibet, against the occupying Chinese forces caused thousands of refugees to India, and many to Darjeeling. Pemba volunteered to work at the Tibetan Refugee School and soon became a well-known figure amongst many high-ranking Tibetan lamas; those he treated included Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the 16th Karmapa; Dilgo Khyentse Rimpoche; Dudjom Rinpoche, an incarnation of a 1,000-year-old line of spiritual masters; Great Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö; Chatral Rinpoche; Kalu Rinpoche; Tai Situ Rinpoche and Shamarpa.[9]
In 1965 he returned to Britain to specialize in surgery and 1966 he was awarded the Hallett Prize for coming first in the primary examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons; he became a Fellow in 1967.[10] He returned to Darjeeling to work until about the mid-1980s, at this time he befriended Thomas Merton.[11] Dr. Pemba, then returned to Bhutan to become Superintendent of the National Referral Hospital, Thimphu. He was also appointed to be a United Nations certifying doctor and sat on the committee devising a Bhutan national formulary. In 1989, was a member of the Bhutan delegation to WHO in Geneva.[12] While in Bhutan, Dr Pemba served as consulting physician to Bhutan's royal family in this period as well.[13]
Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba died at Siliguri on 26 November 2011.[14] He is survived by four children. A fifth child predeceased him in 2009. His wife, Tsering Sangmo, passed away in 2016.
Booksedit
Young Days in Tibet (1957). Autobiography.
Idols on the Path (1966). The first novel written by a Tibetan in English.
White Crane, Lend Me Your Wings (2017, Delhi: Niyogi Books). Posthumously published work.[15]
Tibet as I Knew It: The Memoir of Dr. Tsewang Yishey Pemba (2022, Lexington Books). Memoir.
Journal of a Doctor to Tibetan Mystics and Masters (2023, Blackneck Books). Non-fiction.
^Mckay, Alex (2008). Their Footprints Remain: Biomedical Beginnings Across the Indo-Tibetan Frontier. Amsterdam University Press. p. 170. ISBN978-90-5356-518-6.
^Pemba, Tsewang (1966). Idols on the path. London: Cape. p. 251. ASIN B0006BSD3O.
^Pemba, Tsewang (1957). Young Days in Tibet. Cape. ASIN B001813L2O.
^"Tsewang Yishey Pemba". The Daily Telegraph. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
^Richardson, H. E. (1953). "Tibetan Inscriptions at Žva-ẖi Lha Khaṅ". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 85 (1–2): 1–12. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00105817. S2CID 162810940.
^"A Son of the Hills Passes away". Isikkim. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
^Pem ba, Dechen (11 January 2012). "Helping Tibetan Refugees Fleeing Chinese Occupation". BMJ. 344: e311. doi:10.1136/bmj.e311. S2CID 58745952.
^"Obituary". The Times. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
^"The Thomas vicary commemoration". Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 40 (1): 67–68. January 1967. PMC2311982. PMID 19310491.
^Merton, Thomas (1975). The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton. New Directions. pp. 445. ISBN978-0-8112-0570-2.
^Mckay, Alex (2008). Their Footprints Remain: Biomedical Beginnings Across the Indo-Tibetan Frontier. Amsterdam University Press. p. 308. ISBN978-90-5356-518-6.
^"A Man of Many Firsts". Kuenseonline. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2012.[permanent dead link]
^"A Son of the hills Dr. Tsewang Yishey Pemba passes away". Sikkim Mail. 30 November 2011.
^Pemba, Tsewang Yishey (2017). White Crane, Lend Me Your Wings. Delhi: Niyogi Books. ISBN978-93-85285-62-2.
January 01, 1970
tsewang, yishey, pemba, june, 1932, november, 2011, mbbs, london, frcs, first, tibetan, become, doctor, western, medicine, become, fellow, royal, college, surgeons, founded, first, hospital, bhutan, also, credited, writing, first, work, fiction, tibetan, engli. Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba 5 June 1932 26 November 2011 MBBS London FRCS was the first Tibetan to become a doctor in western medicine and to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons 1 He founded the first hospital in Bhutan He is also credited for writing the first work of fiction by a Tibetan in English Idols on the Path 2 published in 1966 and is also regarded as the first Tibetan to publish a book in English Young Days in Tibet 3 published by Jonathan Cape in 1957 4 Contents 1 Biography 2 Books 3 External links 4 ReferencesBiography edit nbsp Lhamo Tsering Sumal Sinha Pemba Tsering Phuntsok Tashi Takla Lhasa 1952 Dr Pemba was born in 1932 in Gyantse Tibet His father was Rai Saheb Pemba Tsering a prominent member of the British Political Office having served as British Trade Agent 5 The Pemba family had also made Gangtok their home living in the residence of the late Tashi Tsering President of Sikkim State Congress 6 Tsewang Yishy Pemba had no formal education until the age of nine when he started in 1941 at Victoria Boys School in Kurseong where he was until 1948 Decades later he wrote about his experience 7 In 1949 he went to read Medicine at London University at University College and University College Hospital In 1955 Tsewang Pemba graduated with an M B and BSc degrees the first Tibetan student to receive British medical qualifications He then was recruited by the future Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigme Dorji to establish that country s first hospital and worked in Bhutan from 1956 to 1958 In 1959 Dr Pemba moved to Darjeeling where he worked until 1965 for Dooars and Darjeeling Medical Association Hospital DDMA run by the Indian Tea Association when he also looked after the Tibetan Refugee School and the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center 8 In 1959 the uprising in Lhasa Tibet against the occupying Chinese forces caused thousands of refugees to India and many to Darjeeling Pemba volunteered to work at the Tibetan Refugee School and soon became a well known figure amongst many high ranking Tibetan lamas those he treated included Rangjung Rigpe Dorje the 16th Karmapa Dilgo Khyentse Rimpoche Dudjom Rinpoche an incarnation of a 1 000 year old line of spiritual masters Great Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Chatral Rinpoche Kalu Rinpoche Tai Situ Rinpoche and Shamarpa 9 In 1965 he returned to Britain to specialize in surgery and 1966 he was awarded the Hallett Prize for coming first in the primary examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons he became a Fellow in 1967 10 He returned to Darjeeling to work until about the mid 1980s at this time he befriended Thomas Merton 11 Dr Pemba then returned to Bhutan to become Superintendent of the National Referral Hospital Thimphu He was also appointed to be a United Nations certifying doctor and sat on the committee devising a Bhutan national formulary In 1989 was a member of the Bhutan delegation to WHO in Geneva 12 While in Bhutan Dr Pemba served as consulting physician to Bhutan s royal family in this period as well 13 Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba died at Siliguri on 26 November 2011 14 He is survived by four children A fifth child predeceased him in 2009 His wife Tsering Sangmo passed away in 2016 Books editYoung Days in Tibet 1957 Autobiography Idols on the Path 1966 The first novel written by a Tibetan in English White Crane Lend Me Your Wings 2017 Delhi Niyogi Books Posthumously published work 15 Tibet as I Knew It The Memoir of Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba 2022 Lexington Books Memoir Journal of a Doctor to Tibetan Mystics and Masters 2023 Blackneck Books Non fiction External links editPeer reviewed biography of Tsewang Yishey Pemba by Tenzin Dickie on The Treasury of Lives https treasuryoflives org biographies view Tsewang Yishey Pemba 13723References edit Mckay Alex 2008 Their Footprints Remain Biomedical Beginnings Across the Indo Tibetan Frontier Amsterdam University Press p 170 ISBN 978 90 5356 518 6 Pemba Tsewang 1966 Idols on the path London Cape p 251 ASIN B0006BSD3O Pemba Tsewang 1957 Young Days in Tibet Cape ASIN B001813L2O Tsewang Yishey Pemba The Daily Telegraph 28 December 2011 Retrieved 10 January 2012 Richardson H E 1953 Tibetan Inscriptions at Zva ẖi Lha Khaṅ Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 85 1 2 1 12 doi 10 1017 S0035869X00105817 S2CID 162810940 A Son of the Hills Passes away Isikkim 30 November 2011 Retrieved 9 January 2012 GLIMPSES of DOW HILL SCHOOL 1941 1948 Pem ba Dechen 11 January 2012 Helping Tibetan Refugees Fleeing Chinese Occupation BMJ 344 e311 doi 10 1136 bmj e311 S2CID 58745952 Obituary The Times 12 January 2012 Retrieved 13 January 2012 The Thomas vicary commemoration Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 40 1 67 68 January 1967 PMC 2311982 PMID 19310491 Merton Thomas 1975 The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton New Directions pp 445 ISBN 978 0 8112 0570 2 Mckay Alex 2008 Their Footprints Remain Biomedical Beginnings Across the Indo Tibetan Frontier Amsterdam University Press p 308 ISBN 978 90 5356 518 6 A Man of Many Firsts Kuenseonline 12 November 2011 Retrieved 10 January 2012 permanent dead link A Son of the hills Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba passes away Sikkim Mail 30 November 2011 Pemba Tsewang Yishey 2017 White Crane Lend Me Your Wings Delhi Niyogi Books ISBN 978 93 85285 62 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tsewang Yishey Pemba amp oldid 1187925560, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
