The Central Regional Referral Hospital in Gelephu has achieved a significant milestone, recording zero maternal deaths last year and a notable decrease in overall mortality cases. This achievement, highlighted in the hospital’s annual report, underscores ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.
According to the hospital’s latest annual report, not a single mother died during childbirth last year, compared to two cases in 2023. The hospital saw a total of 752 deliveries last year. Health officials attribute this achievement to stronger care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, better antenatal follow-ups, and rapid-response protocols in delivery cases.
The report also shows a decline in overall deaths, from 150 in 2023 to 128 last year.
The hospital served nearly 180,000 outpatients last year, up from close to 175,000 in 2023. Inpatient admissions, however, dipped slightly from around 3,800 to almost 3,700.
“This is the third edition of the report we have launched. The first edition was released in 2022. For us, the biggest achievement is being able to produce the report itself. We receive no separate budget for it; it is entirely prepared by our medical staff,” said Dr. Choeda Gyaltshen, Medical Superintendent, CRRH, Gelephu.
The hospital has also achieved a major digital milestone, becoming 100 per cent paperless with its Electronic Patient Information System, or ePIS. All consultation notes, test orders, prescriptions, and medical certificates are now processed entirely online, following a phased rollout that began in mid-2023.
In specialised services, the Mental Health Unit attended to nearly 10,300 new and follow-up cases last year, while the Forensic Medicine Unit handled close to 700 cases, most linked to trauma and violence. Interpersonal violence topped the list with over 360 cases, followed by domestic violence with around 220.
At present, both the mental health and forensic units lack a psychiatrist and a forensic medicine specialist, but appointments are expected soon.
“We are seeing a steady increase in patient visits each year, and with the commencement of the GMC, we expect even more. In response, we have been requesting additional health staff from the National Medical Service and are also planning to establish new departments, including a mental health unit and a forensic unit, in the near future,” added Dr. Choeda Gyaltshen, Medical Superintendent, CRRH, Gelephu.
Financially, the hospital generated more than Nu 2.7 M last year from clinical services and administrative fees. The largest share, close to Nu 1.5 M, came from medical certificates issued for foreign worker screenings, followed by a little over half a million ngultrum from inpatient charges for non-nationals.
Yet, challenges remain. The report also reveals that despite some recruits last year, the overall nursing strength remained unchanged from 2023. The shortage of nursing staff continues to affect service efficiency and has delayed the introduction of cabin in-ward services, a long-standing goal yet to be achieved.
The medical superintendent says the hospital is in talks with the National Medical Service to bring in more staff, noting that the number of General Duty Medical Officers has already increased from six last year to 11 this year, with more specialists expected soon.
Established in 2018, the Central Regional Referral Hospital is a 150-bed hospital employing roughly 470 staff members today.
Passang Dorji, Gelephu
Edited by Phub Gyem
