The Bhutanese Leading the way.
With growing public concern over the state of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) infrastructure and hospital waste handling, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has clarified the critical measures in place to safeguard patient care and safety across the country’s health facilities.
Currently, Bhutan has a total of 23 ICU beds distributed across its three referral hospitals: 10 ICU beds and 7 High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), 8 ICU beds at the Eastern Regional Referral Hospital (ERRH), and 5 ICU beds at the Central Regional Referral Hospital (CRRH).
Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk, addressing the concerns during the 15th Meet-the-Press session, emphasized that utmost precautionary and infection control measures are strictly adhered to in ICUs, given the vulnerability of patients requiring critical care.
“As patients admitted to the ICUs are those who require critical care, utmost precautionary and infection control measures are taken to ensure that the recovery of patients is not compromised at any cost,” Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said.
To ensure high standards of care, all ICU units are run by trained doctors and nurses specialized in critical care. These personnel receive regular training in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), both in the country and overseas, and also attend routine Continuous Medical Education (CME) programs focused on patient safety.
ICU staff strictly follow hand hygiene protocols such as handwashing with soap and the use of alcohol-based rubs, by the “five moments” of hand hygiene.
Monthly surveillance on hand hygiene and healthcare-associated infections is also conducted to identify and address gaps quickly.
Further steps include enhanced cleaning of the ICU environment and linens, restriction of visitors, and strict adherence to medical waste management practices. “As per the National Guideline on Infection Control and Medical Waste Management 2018 (which is currently being revised), color-coded waste bins are available for waste segregation. The support staff are also trained routinely to safely manage the medical waste,” Lyonpo said.
A significant boost to the nation’s ICU infrastructure came with the establishment of a five-bed Surgical ICU at JDWNRH, inaugurated on 20th December 2024. This facility was made possible through the generous donation of Her Majesty The Gyalyum Kesang Choeden Wangchuck, and has improved the hospital’s ability to provide specialized critical care.
Looking ahead, MoH plans to construct a new 400-bed Inpatient Department (IPD) block under the Multi-Disciplinary Super Specialty Hospital (MDSSH) project. This facility will house dedicated ICUs for each specialty and incorporate comprehensive waste management systems.
This long-term investment, Lyonpo said, will significantly enhance the quality, accessibility, and readiness of Bhutan’s critical care services.
