THE PATH OF ETERNAL LIGHT

December 17, 2020. Overnight, snow had quietly fallen. Few footprints disturb the deep drifts, and empty streets, and a hush prevails. As thoughts drift to how “days would stir with excitement as the new year approached”, a sharp voice cuts through: 'The State Emergency Commission warns...' The announcement scatters all musings. In a Mongolia seized by pandemic fear, with people fixed on their TVs for hope, a beacon of news emerged: “The First National Central Hospital now treats kidney stones with lasers. No need to travel abroad.” Just a month after the coronavirus shut Mongolia’s borders, this announcement lifted the heavy weight from many who were anxious, directed to journey to neighbouring lands for surgery.

“A PAIN UNBEARABLE, LIKE HANGING IN SILENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH”

“The agony of kidney stones is excruciating,” says Dr. D. Bayan-Ondur, shaking his head. “When a stone reaches 7 mm, it shifts, blocking the urinary tract, causing relentless pain. A Russian medical text notes, ‘If your patient is hanging from the chandelier, it’s kidney stones, and it’s dreadful.”

The First State Central Hospital manages most specialized kidney surgeries in Mongolia, treating 3,000 patients annually. Over 25 per cent, or one in four, are diagnosed with kidney, urinary tract, or bladder stones.

“WAIT UNTIL THE STONE GROWS”

• “—How is your health?
• —Doctor, sometimes it feels like a heavy stone pulls inside my body. Is there any way to bring the surgery forward?
• —Your stone is quite small. We will have to wait until it grows before operating. If the pain is unbearable, Beijing is an option for 10 million tugriks. Can you afford it?
• —Are the Chinese doctors bringing their lasers again anytime soon?
• —Their surgery quota for Mongolia this year is exhausted…”

Five years ago, this exchange unfolded at the entrance of the Urology and Andrology Center of the First State Central Hospital, globally respected for its skilled team. For eight years, they pleaded for a billion tugriks from the state to fund a laser device, receiving no reply. As doctors and patients endured this hardship, the “Khuree Rotary Club” and their international project brought relief. Their “Project to Introduce Laser Treatment for Kidney Stones” secured a $227,000 laser device, donated to Mongolia’s leading hospital. The days of waiting months for surgery or travelling abroad in pain vanished, replaced by timely treatment before conditions worsen.

OVER 2,000 HEALED, LIVES TRANSFORMED

Medical science Dr., Prof. D. Bayan-Ondur, head of the Urology-Andrology Center and National Kidney Transplantation Team, explains: “Poor diets and sedentary lifestyles have driven a rise in kidney and urinary tract diseases. To name a few, spicy fast food, low fluid intake, and vitamin D deficiency are widespread. Ulaanbaatar’s smog and desk jobs worsen the toll. Due to all these reasons, kidney disease increases by 30 percent each year.”

Before 2020, stones were removed with scopes or left to grow to a centimeter, forcing patients to endure severe pain. When the stone grows larger, it is punctured from the outside of the body to create a wound for removal. Sometimes, open surgery is performed. In the past, patients who were in severe pain, could not wait their turn, and urgently needed laser treatment were sent to Beijing, China. Doctors were even invited to visit Mongolia with their equipment to perform surgeries. Until recently, doctors from Beijing visited three times a year, with a plan to operate on only 18 patients in total.

Generally, kidney and urinary tract stones are best treated while still small. Early treatment reduces the risk of recurring inflammation and serious complications. As the stone grows, the cost of medical treatment increases. There is also a higher chance that the patient will develop new stones after surgery. The longer the delay, the harder it becomes to restore kidney function and control inflammation, leading to more complex health issues.

Previously, patients had only two difficult choices: going abroad or waiting for the stone to grow. However, now that danger is in the past. Over 2,000 patients have been treated with the new device, without incisions. On average, 500-800 people receive the benefit of laser surgery annually. During this kidney stone crushing laser treatment, a telescope through the urethra crushes even tiny stones. “We perform these surgeries here, covered by health insurance, free of charge,” Dr. Bayan-Ondur says. Is there any greater blessing than this? “My gratitude goes to the Rotary family, our donors, and every kind supporter.”

“INSTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR SURGERY UPON DIAGNOSIS”

The “Khuree Rotary” club’s project unfolded in two phases. From 2019 to 2020, they introduced laser stone treatment for FNCH. In 2023, they expanded, acquiring a $74,800 ultrasound machine and cystoscope to detect prostate and urological diseases early. As a result, not only kidney stones but all types of kidney and urological diseases can now be diagnosed at an early stage and treated in Mongolia according to international standards. This project, which cost billions of tugriks, has brought joy and relief to many families. “It especially reached Mongolian men and became a true beacon of hope,” the team of doctors gratefully shared.

$5.1 MILLION RAISED ON THE PILLARS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND TRUST

Just like lighting a small flame that grows into a beacon, the Khuree Rotary Club began with a single “Global Grant” project under Rotary International. Since then, they have brought to life 73 impactful projects, drawing in over $5.1 million in funding to Mongolia. Of that, a remarkable $225,000 came not from grants, but from the hands and hearts of the club members themselves. In the laser equipment project at the First State Central Hospital alone, they personally contributed $42,000.

S. Narmandakh, President of the club for 2021–2022, shares their process with quiet pride:

“This is how Rotarians implement their projects: we begin with our own donations. Then, we reach out to partner clubs around the globe. Rotary is a family of 1.2 million members worldwide. Their annual dues are pooled and redistributed as projects, goodwill circulating like a heartbeat. However, these projects must hold true value. They must be selfless. Every dollar must be used exactly as intended. When a project exceeds $100,000, international auditors step in to ensure every detail aligns. For instance, when we brought laser treatment for kidney stones to the First State Hospital, a urologist from abroad visited. He did not just read reports—he scrubbed in, stood by our surgeons, saw the impact with his own eyes, and left with deep respect. This success? It stems from two sources: the international trust that Mongolian Rotarians have earned, and the unwavering commitment of our members and supporters who believe in saving countless lives if we could just get this machine”.

“NO ONE SHOULD LEAVE THIS WORLD DUE TO LACK OF MONEY”

Then, Narmandakh’s voice softened as she shared something more personal:

“My younger brother passed away at just 38, after an intestinal surgery. To be born a human is a rare gift, like balancing a grain of rice on the tip of a needle. To lose that life, not from fate, but from lack of funds or proper health care, is a sorrow that cuts deep. I hoped that others would not have to bear such pain, which led me to take responsibility for our club’s healthcare projects. I write the proposals in English, and send them worldwide—it takes a great amount of time. Nevertheless, I never dwell on the labor. Because I do this work with a spirit of kindness, wanting to help others, purely by choice, I prefer to stay behind the scenes, working quietly. That’s just how we Rotarians are. We do not go around saying, ‘Look what we did! If, 50-60 decades from now, long after we are gone, someone’s life is saved because of a machine we donated, that is more than enough. It fills our souls just thinking about the thousands of lives saved by this machine. My father used to say, ‘When you give, your soul stretches wide. When you receive, your hands open.’ I carry those words with me always.” After saying all this, she added with her usual modesty, “Honestly, I did not want my name mentioned in the interview. This was the effort of many, not just me.”

They are the quiet heroes among us—those who give their all, asking for nothing in return, working with heart and humility.

ROTARIANS: BUILDERS OF MEANING AND MAKERS OF VALUE

Across every corner of the globe, 1.2 million hearts beat for goodness, sending their dollars on coffee to support others, like us. Moreover, here in Mongolia, warm-hearted people match that generosity, not because they have more to give, but because they have more heart.

It is through this spirit that Rotarians around the world, through the hands of Mongolian Rotarians, help solve Mongolia’s challenges.

Mongolia’s Rotarians have long proven themselves—steadfast, sincere, and visionary. They do not simply follow—they lead. They do not only build—they inspire. Their integrity, commitment, and example continue to open doors, gently and consistently, to new possibilities.

For thirty years, one big-hearted family has been leading the way in these luminous acts of service. With pride, they declare: “There is no place for personal gain in Rotary.”

They have dedicated themselves to creating meaning, building value, and lifting others toward hope. And for them, the road ahead is not uncertain—it is radiant with purpose. The Milky Way of great deeds will shine on eternally.

Journalist and Officer of the Public Relations and Media Department of Ulaanbaatar Railway State-Owned Joint Stock Company, Ganzorig. D