Dalai Lama Health Update: How Is 90-Year-Old Tibetan Spiritual Leader After Medical Crisis

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, recently faced a health scare. As per latest update on his medical condition, the 90-year-old underwent a successful left knee replacement surgery and was discharged from hospital on Friday. He was treated for his knee at Delhi's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.

Senior Consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Dr Rajesh Malhotra, in a statement said,“His Holiness the Dalai Lama underwent successful left knee replacement surgery on Monday, 8 June, in New Delhi."

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The statement added,“Throughout his treatment, His Holiness's personal medical team and the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama remained in close coordination with the administrative and medical staff at Apollo Hospitals. His Holiness is stable and expected to make full recovery. He was discharged on Friday morning, 12 June." This crucial medical update was shared on the spiritual leader's official X account.

Two years ago in June 2024, Dalai Lama had undergone a successful right knee replacement surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

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Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering during an interactive event at Delhi's India Habitat Centre here on 9 June answered a question in connection with next Dalai Lama. When a member of the audience asked him about the Chinese assertion that they will decide the next Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile said, "Chinese are not given the right; they are snatching the right to choose the next Dalai Lama... China wants to control everything," PTI reported.

Asserting that Dalai Lama is committed to live long and perhaps for 130 years, he stated,“If His Holiness Dalai Lama dies, then Tibet issue will also die is China's assumption.” According to the Sikyong, the process for choosing the successor starts when the Dalai Lama is "ready to leave (the world)", it doesn't start from now.

“So, I send that message to the Chinese. You, who are waiting for the Dalai Lama to die.... And the (current) Dalai Lama is committed to live long," PTI quoted the Sikyong as saying. Emphasizing that China has "never used the tools" that can win the hearts and trust of Tibetans, he added,“We will have to see whether communism outlives His Holiness Dalai Lama or whether His Holiness outlives communism.”

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He charged at the Chinese administration and alleged that the Chinese ethnic law is to promote only Mandarin and ensure that the Tibetan identity is "destroyed". Criticising China for its policies, he said,“Communists always have very nice name for programmes that have very adverse impact on people.”

Tibetans living in the India will hold a protest march on 26 June to protest against the latest Chinese law – Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion law. This is fundamental law on ethnic affairs in China which was adopted by China's Parliament on 12 March and will take effect on 1 July 2026.

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