The Dalai Lama, the 90-year-old spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is set to receive medical treatment on his left knee in New Delhi this month, his office announced on Thursday.He is scheduled to travel to the Indian capital on Friday from his home-in-exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala. Followers, who have expressed concern over his health in recent years, typically hold elaborate prayers ahead of any planned medical procedures.His office confirmed on X that he would undergo treatment on his left knee, adding that he is expected to travel to India’s Ladakh region by the end of June for an extended stay.The Nobel Peace Prize winner underwent surgery on the same knee in New York in 2024, though he later described it as “nothing serious”. Despite this, he now walks gingerly with the help of aides and uses a golf cart for longer distances within his compound.Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama presides over an event at the Tsuglakhang temple (AP)Dr David Mayman, chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said after that surgery that the Dalai Lama was recovering well and was expected to continue improving over the next six to 12 months.Dr Tsetan D Sadutshang and Dr Tsewang Tamdin, physicians to the Dalai Lama, said in July 2024 that the surgical incision had completely healed without any complications. The physiotherapists said they were happy with the speed of his improvement.The 14th Dalai Lama said in 2025 that he hoped to live beyond 130 years, extending his earlier prediction, and has reassured followers that he will be reincarnated after his death.The longest-serving head of Tibetan Buddhism has lived in Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.China, which seeks to consolidate its control over Tibet, regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist and says it must approve his successor, citing a centuries-old ritual. The Dalai Lama has urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.Over 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in India, Nepal and Bhutan, according to Tibetan organisations. Their number in India is estimated at around 85,000, while many have also moved to countries such as the US, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.