Staff reporter 

Her Majesty Gyalyum Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck yesterday, granted a generous donation of Nu 10 million to the Ministry of Health.

The donation was received by the Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk.

According to the press release from the health ministry, the donated funds will be used to equip the new surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) with high-end medical equipment.

The 12-bedded surgical ICU and High Dependency Unit (HDU) are proposed to be established after the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology are shifted to the newly inaugurated Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital in the coming months, it added.

Currently, the JDWNRH has only 10 beds in the Adult ICU and 8 beds in the HDU, where medical and surgical cases needing intensive care are admitted.

With the expansion in the specialty and range of surgical services at the hospital, more complicated cases are being taken up, and the demand for ICU care has significantly increased.

The press release also added that the new surgical ICU is expected to enhance the delivery of intensive care to patients who have undergone complex surgical procedures and those who need it the most.

Furthermore, the new surgical ICU will be established next to the operation theater to ease patient transfer.

“The generous contribution from Her Majesty serves as a poignant display of compassion among numerous initiatives and acts of kindness in the health sector,” Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk said. “Throughout the past decades, Her Majesty has consistently upheld a steadfast commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Bhutanese from all walks of life, embodying a role of dedicated patronage and philanthropy.”