The Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology in the Tibet autonomous region is this year celebrating its 100th anniversary since it founding, it said at a news conference on Thursday.

The institute was formed from an existing facility, the Mentsekhang (Tibetan Traditional Hospital), which was established in 1916.

Yeshi Yangzom, deputy head of the hospital, said it has been focusing on inheriting the theory, cuture and practices of Tibetan medical science. Last year the hospital treated more than 344,000 patients. Tibet autonomous region has a population of more than 3 million.

The central and regional governments have attached great importance to the development of Tibetan medicine, with more than 256 million yuan (US$34 million) being invested in the hospital in 2014 alone.