CHANDIGARH: Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, was discharged from Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi on Friday morning following a successful left knee replacement surgery performed earlier this week.
After making a full recovery, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate is scheduled to travel to Ladakh for an extended stay and is likely to miss his 91st birthday celebrations in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.
The surgery was carried out on June 8 and was successful. He remained under close medical supervision during his recovery. Dr Rajesh Malhotra, Senior Consultant at Apollo Hospitals, said: “His Holiness the Dalai Lama underwent successful left knee replacement surgery on Monday, June 8, in New Delhi.
“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 a full recovery. He was discharged on Friday morning, June 12.
“It has been a great honour for the hospital and the medical team to serve His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We are grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us and privileged to have been able to contribute to His Holiness’s care.”
This is the second major knee replacement surgery the Dalai Lama has undergone in recent years. In June 2024, he underwent a successful right knee replacement surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, US, and made an excellent recovery.
The latest procedure comes amid growing concern among followers and well wishers worldwide over the health of the 90 year old spiritual leader. With the successful completion of the surgery, both his knees have now undergone replacement procedures.
The Dalai Lama frequently travels across the remote mountainous region of Ladakh, bordering Tibet, to address people of all faiths, often drawing criticism from China. His Holiness is also expected to attend a public programme marking his 91st birthday on July 6, likely in Leh. He last visited Ladakh in July last year.