ACCESS Health International, in collaboration with the Medical Education Centre for Research, Innovation & Training (MECRIT) at the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB), conducted two batches of the Leadership Training Program for Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Control and Management in Bhutan. The initiative was supported by Sanofi’s Global Health Unit (GHU), with InOrder – The Health System’s Institute and the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) serving as academic partners.
The in-person three-day training was held in Paro from September 24 to October 1, 2025, across two batches. It aimed to strengthen leadership capacities for NCD program management by equipping participants with evidence-based NCD strategies, operational and regulatory frameworks, and leadership theories, while enhancing key skills in team leadership, communication, conflict resolution, change management, and ethical decision-making.
The program was formally inaugurated by Dr. N. Krishna Reddy, Chief Executive Officer, ACCESS Health International; Dr. Mimi Lhamo, President, National Medical Services (NMS); and Dr. Kuenzang Chhezom, Registrar, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB), who delivered the keynote address and opening remarks.
The first batch included 30 participants and the second 22 participants, bringing together senior executives, deans, directors, heads of departments, medical specialists, and program leaders from the National Medical Services (NMS), Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB), Faculty of Nursing and Public Health (FNPH), Faculty of Undergraduate Medicine (FoUGM), Faculty of Postgraduate Medicine (FoPGM), Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), and the Ministry of Health, Bhutan.
The training followed a participant-centred, practice-based approach combining expert lectures, case discussions, group exercises, and leadership self-assessments. Each participant also developed an individualised leadership development plan, with follow-up sessions planned to track progress and offer continued guidance.
Sessions were facilitated by distinguished resource persons including Dasho Chewang Rinzin, Vice Chancellor, Royal University of Bhutan; Mr. Girish Bommakanti, Global Director – Operations and Strategic Growth, ACCESS Health International; Dr. Shrikant Kalaskar, Technical Head – Public Health and Capacity Building, ACCESS Health International; Dr. Sanjiv Kumar, MD and Chair, 3Domain Health Leadership Foundation; and Dr. Neeta Kumar, MD, Pathology.
The program was coordinated by Dr. Lalita Sisodia, Program Manager; Dr. Chilshu Chandran, Technical Specialist – Public Health; and Ms. Mausumi Daimari, Research Associate – Public Health, ACCESS Health International.
Both batches concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, marking the successful completion of the training. Participants described it as a first-of-its-kind leadership program in Bhutan, noting that it will empower healthcare leaders to lead teams more effectively, strengthen national policies, and coordinate multisectoral actions for improved NCD control and management.