JDWNR Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in the whole of Bhutan. It is the only national referral hospital in the country. However, the quality of medical facilities in the existing set-up is far below optimal standards of healthcare. The process to upgrade and modernize the hospital was initiated way back in the early 90’s. As a first step, the government set up the Filter Clinic adjacent to the existing hospital building.

In 1998, AHEL’s design team was appointed by the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB), to develop a master plan proposal for the modernization and re-vitalization of the hospital complex. Various development options were examined and presented to the RGOB. The selected option addressed the need to retain the existing hospital building even as the new hospital building is being constructed. The master plan also addressed the need to upgrade this facility into a national level teaching hospital.

Construction work at the site commenced February, 2005. When commissioned, the new 400-bed multi-speciality tertiary-care JDWNR Hospital covering a total built-up area of 310,000.00 sqft will be the only hospital in Bhutan equipped with the most modern MRI, Linear Accelerator, CT-Scanner, Gamma Camera, Fluoroscope and other high-end diagnostic and treatment tools.

RGOB norms require that all buildings reflect the vernacular architectural style of the region. Extensive design consultations were carried out with the Traditional Architect of RGOB to ensure that all necessary traditional architectural features were incorporated into the design of the hospital.

The total project cost is estimated at INR 38 crores. The project is being funded on grant provided by the Government of India. Project completion is scheduled for December 2008.