Medicine

The Department of Medicine at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), in Thimphu serves as the premier tertiary healthcare center in Bhutan. Acting as the backbone of allopathic healthcare for the country, the department manages complex, multi-system diseases and provides comprehensive specialized treatments that are unavailable elsewhere in the nation. It plays a pivotal role in patient care, clinical research, and medical education as a primary teaching hub affiliated with the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB).

Our Mission

To deliver holistic and specialized medical care rooted in clinical integrity and empathy; to lower the burden of disease through exceptional inpatient and outpatient management, and support the national health vision of healthy and happy society.

Our Vision

To heal with compassion and lead with excellence, ensuring every patient has access to highest standard of medical care.

Our Core Values

Patient-Centered Compassion

We treat every patient with empathy, dignity, and respect, recognizing and responding to their individual physical, emotional, and cultural needs.

Clinical Excellence and Safety

We maintain the highest standards of anesthesia practice through evidence-based medicine, robust safety measures, and continuous quality improvement.

Collaborative Teamwork

We value open communication, mutual respect, and multidisciplinary cooperation to provide seamless perioperative care and support successful surgical outcomes.

Equity and Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring all patients receive timely, inclusive, and equitable anesthesia care regardless of their background or circumstances.

Integrity and Accountability

We uphold ethical principles, transparency, and professionalism while remaining accountable to our patients, colleagues, and the wider community.

Innovation and Lifelong Learning

We encourage innovation, embrace advancements in medical technology, and promote a culture of continuous learning, education, and professional growth.

Brief background history: Foundational Origins (1956–1974)

The roots of the department trace back to 1956, when the Third Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, ordered the construction of Bhutan’s first allopathic facility in Langjophakha. General medical services officially shifted to the hospital’s current Thimphu location in 1974 under the name Thimphu General Hospital.

Specialization and Expansion (1980s–2000s)

Throughout the late 20th century, what began as a basic outpatient and inpatient medical pool gradually structured into a specialized internal medicine department. In 2002, the broader institution was renamed JDWNRH. By 2009, a new 350-bed complex was built, exponentially upgrading the department’s inpatient capacity, diagnostic capabilities, and specialized clinics.
Autonomy and Academic Transition (2014–Present):
A major institutional shift occurred in 2014 when JDWNRH became an autonomous entity. Concurrently, the Department of Medicine transitioned into a core teaching department for the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB).

Current Status

Today, the department has evolved from a general medicine clinic into a comprehensive modern department. It hosts a diverse range of subspecialized internal medicine disciplines including cardiology, nephrology, gastroenterology, infectious disease specialty, hematology, and advanced diagnostics and serves as the absolute apex referral center for complex medical cases across Bhutan’s 20 dzongkhags.

Medicine Services

Our department provides a comprehensive range of Medicine services, including:

Internal Medicine Services both inpatient and outpatient services Clinic / Service

Diabetic Clinic Services daily

Rheumatology Services daily

Non-Invasive Cardiology

Invasive Cardiology

Structural & Congenital Heart Intervention

Cardiac Device Therapy

Coronary Care & Critical Cardiac Care

Emergency Cardiac Care

Dedicated Cardiology Clinics

Intensive care and critical care medicine services

Out patient services

State-of-the-art dialysis therapies

Kidney transplant program

Outpatient Consultations

Inpatient Care

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (OGD)

Colonoscopy

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Diagnostic and Therapeutic

Emergency Services

Inpatient Services

Outpatient Services