Lhakpa Quendren

Gelephu—In light of recent allegations of unauthorised medical practice across the border, Ugyen Wangchuk asserts that the Indo-Bhutan Neurotherapy Centre, situated in Dadgari, India, is owned by an Indian individual.

Ugyen Wangchuk, a 52-year-old former Gelephu Gup, was cautioned for purportedly participating in unauthorised medical practice that caters to Bhutanese individuals.

Medical and health professionals are required to register with the Medical and Health Professionals Council (MHPC) to practice their profession. Any individual practicing without registration would face legal consequences for unlawful practice.

“I am simply an employee of the centre, receiving 15 percent of the total Nu 1,000 charged from each patient for the treatment service,” Ugyen Wangchuk said. “The owner is based in Delhi, and I work alongside another employee.”

According to Ugyen Wangchuk, he is a trained neurotherapist who completed “a year-long diploma course in neurotherapy” at the Neeraj Neurotherapy Institute of India in 2023.

He maintains that he is among the 28 neurotherapists from that cohort at the institute.

Proof

Ugyen Wangchuk says that he completed the diploma course in December of 2023 and is yet to obtain the original mark sheets and certificate from the institute.

“I have submitted a copy of the certificate to the Council,” he said. “If the Council recognises and authorises my profession, I plan to establish a neurotherapy centre in our country. If not, I will continue working at the same center.”

What’s happening?

Ugyen Wangchuk denied the accusation of advising patients to discontinue prescribed medications.

“I did not suggest to any of my patients in need of surgery that they could bypass hospital procedures. That was a miscommunication,” he said.

Many patients, he said, did not adhere to the recommended course of therapy and, subsequently, complained about not experiencing relief from their pains. “Even for a cough and cold, the therapy typically requires about a week.”

Who is a doctor?

The Medical and Health Professionals Council under the Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority (BQPCA) has collected Ugyen Wangchuk’s documentation for authentication.

Initially, Ugyen Wangchuk failed to submit his documents when the council requested them for authentication, and their subsequent attempts to contact him have also been unsuccessful.

“We will need to investigate to determine if there has been any manipulation in the documentation,” an investigating member said.

The Neurotherapy Centre is situated outside the country, yet Ugyen Wangchuk conducts his promotions in the national language, Dzongkha. This has prompted the authority to caution the public against seeking services from unauthorised individuals.

History

Ugyen Wangchuk began promoting chiropractic services in Gelephu town with the assistance of two chiropractors from a neighbouring town in India

He acted as their local liaison and marketer, gaining insights into Bhutanese preferences for alternative pain treatments.

However, he was prohibited them from offering such treatments in the country. Subsequently, according to reliable sources, Ugyen Wangchuk relocated the clinic centre to Dadgari to attract Bhutanese patients.

Ugyen Wangchuk said that he studied Buddhism for three years in Dehradun, India, following his completion of eighth grade at Wamrong School in Tashigang.

He served as the gup for Gelephu from 2016 to 2021.