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).