Her Majesty the Gyalyum Tshering Pem Wangchuck donated Nu 6 million to Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu yesterday.

The money will be used to purchase two sets of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment, which include ICU bed, ICU CP monitor, ventilator, syringe pump, infusion pump, suction pump, privacy curtain, and bair hugger for Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

President of JDWNRH, Lhab Dorji, said the hospital has been facing shortage of beds, especially in PICU.

The Head of Department of Pediatrics at the JDWNRH, Dr Mimi Lhamu, said PICU was started in September 2012 as a four-bedded ward.

“At that time, it was a basic unit with beds from adult ICU and other units and equipment from Neonatal ICU and adult ICU,” she said. “There was a need to separate the PICU from the pediatric ward so that we could give proper quality care to the patients.”

In 2014, another bed was added to the ward.

“In addition to this, we were able to procure good quality machines like ventilators and CP monitors for each bed,” she said.

Currently, the PICU at JDWNRH has only five beds.

“With the donation from Her Majesty, the hospital will create two additional beds in the PICU that will enhance the capacity of the hospital to provide ICU care to more children,” Lhab Dorjis said. “We would like to thank Her Majesty for this compassionate and magnanimous donation.

Dechen Tshomo