When attention to women's health was minimal, Dr. Landol began her work. Despite harsh winters, limited resources, and deeply ingrained beliefs, she became the first practicing gynecologist in Ladakh and received two high civilian honors from India.
She understood the cost these beliefs could entail. During childbirth, women were often separated from their families. Dr. Landol witnessed her own mother go through such an experience, and this memory defined the work she dedicated her life to.
However, she first had to overcome her own barriers. Growing up in a poor farming family in Leh, Tshering was the first in her family to receive an education. Since she did not know English, she studied science in Urdu to pass the entrance exam for medical college.
She enrolled at the Government Medical College in Srinagar, studied obstetrics and gynecology, and then returned to Leh in 1979, becoming the first practicing female gynecologist in Ladakh.
She then faced a harsh reality. It was medicine on the brink of survival. Temperatures could drop below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Hospitals struggled to provide basic amenities; during childbirth, water had to be stored in barrels that would crack when freezing and heated using kerosene heaters.
Since the hospital could not provide the necessary care to mothers, Dr. Landol began providing medical assistance at home. She took gloves, medicines, and a vacuum with her, traversing the difficult terrain of Ladakh to assist with births.
But saving lives was only part of her mission. She aimed to change societal views. She traveled to remote villages, conducted medical camps, and educated women on basic hygiene, nutrition, and maternal health. In schools, she spoke to girls about puberty and understanding their bodies.
In 2003, she retired from public service but continued to help her community by running a volunteer clinic jointly with the Ladakh Heart Foundation. At the age of 74, she continued to see over 300 patients monthly.
The country eventually recognized her journey: in 2006, she received the Padma Shri award, and in 2020, the Padma Bhushan. However, perhaps her greatest achievement was never the medals, but the trust she earned, one woman, one birth, and one taboo broken at a time.