ACCESS Health International, in collaboration with the Medical Education Centre for Research, Innovation & Training (MECRIT), Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, Bhutan (KGUMSB), and the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Bhutan, successfully delivered the Service with Care and Compassion Initiatives (SCCI) roll‑out training in two sessions: May 28-30 and July 23-25, 2025, at KGUMSB.
Organized by MECRIT with support from the Ministry of Health and ACCESS Health International, and funded by Sanofi, the training was part of Bhutan’s Non‑Communicable Disease (NCD) Capacity Building Project. A total of 90 healthcare professionals attended the programme – 50 in May and 40 in July – including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, allied health workers, and faculty from Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), Thromde Health Centres, and affiliated nursing colleges.
Guided by SCCI experts from the Ministry of Health, KGUMSB, JDWNRH, and ACCESS Health International, participants enhanced their skills in brief interventions, cardiovascular risk assessment, evidence‑based NCD management, peer coaching, and dashboard‑based performance monitoring. The curriculum integrated the SCCI model’s 7Rs and 3Cs with practical modules on hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, stroke management, and the use of AUDIT‑SBI, Fagerström Test, and NRT guidelines.
Each three-day session included expert lectures, case discussions, group exercises, and hands-on practice, all tailored to Bhutan’s health system context. Both batches opened with remarks by Dr. Kuenzang Wangdi, Director of Clinical Services (DCS), who emphasized the importance of compassion in NCD management and encouraged participants to apply these lessons at their respective workstations.
After the first group, a coordination meeting led by Dr. Rixin Jamtsho, Director of MECRIT, reviewed progress and refined implementation strategies. Major decisions involved designating SCCI/NCD focal persons at JDWNRH and within departments, establishing NCD screening corners, and creating a hub-and-spoke referral system linking JDWNRH with Thromde and primary health centers. Similarly, after the second group concluded on July 25th, participants gathered under Dr. Jamtsho’s leadership to assess the progress of SCCI implementation and plan the next steps.
Participants suggested ways to improve SCCI adoption across Bhutan. These included developing an integrated childhood NCD module, supporting private nursing colleges to introduce SCCI curricula, standardizing referral protocols for NCD risk cases, and using live broadcasts to increase public awareness of healthy diets.
The successful deployment of SCCI in Thimphu marks a significant step toward strengthening Bhutan’s healthcare workforce to provide compassionate, people-centered, and evidence-based NCD services. By enhancing technical skills and building a culture of care, this initiative paves the way for a more resilient health system aligned with Bhutan’s national goals.