Bangkok’s New Approach to Monk Healthcare: Where Medicine Meets Tradition

The initiative is part of the Kilanuppattaka Project, which prioritizes comprehensive, respectful, and culturally sensitive healthcare for monks—caring for both physical and mental well-being.

The facility was inaugurated in a ceremony presided over by Associate Professor Tavida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, alongside senior members of the monastic community, including the Abbot of Wat Traimit Witthayaram, as well as key figures from Medical Service Department and Health Departments. The event was held at the Ratchaphiphat Urban Medical Center for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care in Thawi Watthana District.

Bangkok’s Buddhist monks face a unique set of health challenges. A recent screening of 2,016 monks from 50 temples across the city revealed:

• 50.47% had high cholesterol
• 16% were at risk of hypertension and diabetes

Many suffered from mental health issues, often linked to their spiritual duties, urban stress, and community expectations
With most monks being elderly, many require long-term care and physical rehabilitation. Recognizing this, Bangkok’s Ratchaphiphat Hospital has established the Vajirakuna Tharn Inpatient Ward, a nine-bed facility dedicated to monks who are either bedridden, in need of continuous care, or unable to return to their temples due to medical conditions.

Beyond medical treatment, the facility includes a Dhamma Pavilion, where monks and their lay caregivers can perform merit-making rituals, offer alms, and engage in religious discussions. This integration of spiritual and physical healing ensures that monks maintain a sense of purpose and connection to their monastic duties, even while undergoing medical treatment.

To sustain the facility’s services, public donations are encouraged through the Chiwa Ruam Jai Foundation, allowing the community to contribute to the long-term care of monks in need.

Bangkok’s Kilanuppattaka Project is not just about inpatient care—it’s about empowering temples to become centers of health and wellness. Past initiatives under this project include:

• Training monks in basic health knowledge so they can promote wellness within their temple communities
• Designating temples as community health hubs, where monks play an active role in disease prevention
• Providing monks with annual medical check-ups to ensure early intervention for common health risks
• With the launch of the Vajirakuna Tharn Ward, the city is now taking a major step forward in monk healthcare, ensuring that religious figures receive the same level of medical attention as the wider population—without compromising their way of life.

Looking ahead, BMA plans to expand the Kilanuppattaka initiative citywide, in collaboration with the National Office of Buddhism. The next phase includes:

• Training two new groups of monk volunteers in healthcare knowledge on March 10-11 and March 12-13, 2025
• Strengthening the monk health network to help religious figures support each other’s well-being
• Integrating temple-based health programs into broader public health efforts

As Bangkok continues to modernize its healthcare infrastructure, projects like this signal a commitment to preserving cultural traditions while ensuring that monks receive the medical care they need.