India to build multidisciplinary super specialty hospital in Bhutan

New Delhi: Seeking to build stronger bilateral ties with its neighbours, India is planning to build up a multi disciplinary super specialty hospital in Bhutan.

The initiative has been taken up by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Recently, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted, "I assured Ms @DechenwangmoM of our full support for establishing a multidisciplinary super speciality hospital in #Bhutan. We also discussed further MOU in Health, closer collaboration in generic meds and cooperation in malaria elimination efforts."

"Last month, a team of senior doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had flown to Bhutan and visited three sites. They also met the health minister of Bhutan to discuss the action plan for building up a super speciality hospital," according to the top health ministry official.

"Initially, there was a plan to build up a cancer hospital. Therefore, only oncologists from AIIMS had visited Bhutan. As the project is under bilateral cooperation between the two countries, it has been planned to create a multidisciplinary super speciality hospital in Bhutan. Also, India is doing good in the healthcare system as it is one hub of medical tourism which offers optimum and affordable medical facilities," the official added.

The doctors' delegation from AIIMS also visited Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital at Thimphu, of the neighbouring nation.

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"Bhutan has a total population of nearly 7 lakhs and about Rs, 250 crores sent on outpatient care which is spent outside the country."

"We have prepared a detailed report on it and will soon send it to the health ministry," confirmed a senior official from AIIMS on condition of anonymity.

By Priyanka Sharma

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