The Orthopedic Unit of MRRH is the apex orthopedic referral center in the east. Presently the orthopedic ward is attached together with surgical beds for 30 in-patients, which remain fully occupied almost throughout the year.
The Orthopedic Unit was started in the early 1970s. The unit was then run by expatriate orthopedic/general surgeons. The services offered then were very basic due to lack of both skilled manpower and sophisticated equipment. In 1993, US based Health Volunteer Over Seas (HVO) Program, started Orthopedic Over Seas (OOS) program in Bhutan. Since then we have been receiving one volunteer orthopedic surgeon every month for an average duration of 4 weeks through the program. But it was only in 1999 that our first national orthopedic surgeon joined the hospital and took over the charge of the unit. Since then we have come a long way and our service providing capabilities have improved tremendously both in terms of skilled manpower and latest equipment.