Nima Wangdi 

Interested Bhutanese people will soon be able to take certified online first aid courses.

This is because Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB) will start online courses called open KGUMSB programme.

The programme was launched yesterday coinciding with the eighth raising day of KGUMSB.




KGUMSB’s Deputy Chief Information Technology Officer, Tshering Samdrup, said that the course would be open to everyone interested. 

People can also see a list of various courses available online. Educational resources will also be available online.

Tshering Samdrup said that the courses have been designed and will be finalised soon. “The courses will start in about four months from now.”

 He said that with funding support from Japan International Cooperation Agency, an audiovisual centre has also been established in the university. “The course recourses will be developed at the centre.”




 The programme will also provide courses for health professionals.

OpenKGUMSB is a digital platform to serve the need of an advancing ICT world with increasing demand and changing times in the medical and health education system according to the press release from the KGUMSB. “It is also a valuable tool for healthcare providers to enhance their knowledge and skills, which can ultimately lead to better patient care and outcomes.”

The platform is expected to foster medical and health education through virtual or online courses in various disciplines. It will assist in rendering health-related continuing professional development and continuous medical education.




“Druk Sokchop Courses, which was also launched on the same day is equivalent to other international emergency life-saving courses,” the press release stated.

The courses are developed for the Bhutanese by the Bhutanese by a panel of experts from the university, teaching hospitals, and district hospitals with financial support from JICA as a part of the JICA Technical Cooperation Project at the University.

The aim of the Druk Sokchop courses is to ensure and maintain the chain of survival from the community to the hospital.




 There are currently 12 courses for health workers and non-health workers. The courses were designed so that whenever an emergency arises anywhere, every Bhutanese should be able to provide first aid to the person before medical care reaches the scene.

“There are frequent assessments to ensure that the trainees become competent enough to handle emergencies since competencies cannot be compromised when dealing with life and death,” an official said.

These courses will also be integrated into the curricula at the University.