Department of General Practice (GOPD) is located at the ground floor of the administrative building of JDWNR hospital.
The services rendered by GOPD are the comprehensive expansion of Outpatient Department (OPD), minor surgical operations, and the management of external medical coverage duties. This aims to improve healthcare accessibility and minimize patient waiting time
To accommodate working professionals, students, and patients who require standard medical consultations outside traditional working hours, enhancing overall community outreach and institutional flexibility. This also reduces the patient crowd at the emergency department.
Carry out minor surgical procedures directly within the outpatient framework.
We treat every patient with empathy, dignity, and respect, recognizing and responding to their individual physical, emotional, and cultural needs.
We maintain the highest standards of anesthesia practice through evidence-based medicine, robust safety measures, and continuous quality improvement.
We value open communication, mutual respect, and multidisciplinary cooperation to provide seamless perioperative care and support successful surgical outcomes.
We are committed to ensuring all patients receive timely, inclusive, and equitable anesthesia care regardless of their background or circumstances.
We uphold ethical principles, transparency, and professionalism while remaining accountable to our patients, colleagues, and the wider community.
We encourage innovation, embrace advancements in medical technology, and promote a culture of continuous learning, education, and professional growth.
Anesthesia services in Bhutan began in the late 1970s and early 1980s at Thimphu General Hospital under Dr. G.C. Sharma from Assam, who transferred to Trashigang Hospital in 1983, leaving Dr. Sarkar to continue the service until UN Volunteer anesthetist Dr. Phone Kyaw took over in 1984. A major milestone occurred in 1983 when Dr. Yanki Shipmo joined Thimphu General Hospital and founded Bhutan’s first Nurse Anesthetist Training Program to address severe staff shortages. In February 1988, Mr. Singye and Mr. Lungten Jamtsho became the first Bhutanese nurses selected for this specialized track; after six months of rigorous training, they provided autonomous anesthesia services at Gelephu General Hospital and Tsimalakha Hospital, laying the groundwork for a system that now includes over 30 nurse anesthetists nationwide.
In early 1998, Bhutan’s first nationally qualified anesthesiologist returned to work at JDWNRH, served at the Military Hospital in Dewathang during security difficulties, and officially entered civil service in January 1999. Later that year, Dr. Singay Dorji became the first Head of the Department of Anesthesiology, where he upgraded clinical services, drugs, and equipment, and established JDWNRH’s first three-bed intensive care unit (ICU).
Dr. Gosar Pemba succeeded him as department head from 2009 to 2014, modernizing services and helping establish Bhutan’s anesthesia residency training program before becoming JDWNRH’s Medical Superintendent, at which point Dr. Jampel Tshering took over leadership. Ultimately, Bhutan’s anesthesia services have evolved from simple open-drop ether methods into a modern system featuring advanced anesthesia workstations, sophisticated monitoring, advanced critical care, labor analgesia, comprehensive pain management clinics, and ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.
Our department provides a comprehensive range of General OPD services, including:
