April 30, 2026
THIMPHU – The government has shelved the plans to construct a 50-bed general hospital in the capital, opting instead to refurbish the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) and invest in a new multidisciplinary super-speciality facility in Thimphu.
The JDWNRH will be upgraded into the Thimphu General Hospital to meet growing healthcare demands, while a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary super-speciality hospital within the campus will provide advanced services and reduce reliance on costly medical referrals abroad.
During the recent 13th Plan mid-term review for the health ministry, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay expressed concerns over low utilisation if a separate Thimphu District Hospital were built.
With three years remaining to complete the 13th Plan, Lyonchhen said the Nu 4 billion allocated for its construction could remain unutilised or locked up instead of being effectively used.
“It is going to take too long. Even if such major constructions are started in the current Plan, I am concerned about their timely completion in subsequent Plans. For example, the mother and child hospital was started in the 11th Plan but could not be completed in the 12th Plan,” Lyonchhen said. He urged the fast-tracking of the multidisciplinary super-speciality hospital to ensure its completion within the current Plan timeframe. “A multidisciplinary hospital is already required in Thimphu, and I have been pushing for this for the past year,” he added.
“So ideally, we should have the facilities and the specialists here. But until such time as we have the specialists, we should have the facilities so that we can invite specialists. If need be, we should also be willing to hire them,” Lyonchhen said, referring to successful specialist services such as knee joint replacements at the JDWNRH.
The Nu 8.5 billion multidisciplinary super-specialty hospital, with an outlay of Nu 743 million, will include three new facilities: a 250-bed National Cancer Hospital, a 400-bed inpatient diagnostic block, and an outpatient diagnostic block.
The construction of Thimphu General Hospital, the expansion of Samtse Hospital into a Southern Regional Referral Hospital for 2026-27, and the Nu 300 million Samdrupjongkhar Hospital are among five projects delayed due to insufficient funding.
The 50-bed Thimphu General Hospital was planned during the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa government and was expected to commence in 2023 after 1.6 acres of land were identified at Lower Taba. The project, estimated to cost Nu 750 million, was planned under the Government of India’s Project Tied Assistance.
The hospital was initially planned as a 20-bed facility at Dechencholing. It was later revised to a 100-bed hospital at Taba and subsequently recommended to be reduced to a 50-bed hospital.
The hospital was designed for secondary-level care, while the national referral hospital was planned to focus on tertiary care. The arrangement was expected to improve access to healthcare in the capital and strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies by reducing patient mixing.