The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Bhutan currently operates three Neonatal Intensive Care Units, the Ministry of Health (MoH) shared during the Meet-the-Press session held on 5th June 2026, alongside broader plans to strengthen newborn care nationwide.
The MoH acknowledged Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen’s leadership in advancing maternal and child health infrastructure. A 150-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu and a 65-bed facility in Mongar are both slated for completion within the next two months.
President of National Medical Services, Dr Mimi Lhamo Mayank, called the new facilities, “A sacred gift to the people of Bhutan and will immensely benefit the health of our mothers and infants.”
Dr Mimi pointed out that annual births have declined from 11,430 in 2015 to 8,501 in 2025.
However, against international benchmarks of 1.5-4 NICU beds per 1,000 live births, Bhutan’s current ratio of 2.82 beds per 1,000 live births is broadly in line with global practice.
Rather than expanding bed numbers alone, the MoH said the focus now is on quality, access, and resilience.
That includes setting up cluster hospitals with paediatricians for faster specialist care and rolling out Neonatal Advanced Life Support training for medical officers and nurses.
Workforce development is also underway. Dr Mimi said, “The ministry plans to train 3 neonatologists, 8 additional paediatricians, and 8 neonatal nurses in the 13th Five Year Plan period by 2029.”
A move expected to deepen specialized newborn and child health services across all dzongkhags.
