Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay on Saturday inaugurated a modern hospital built with Indian assistance here which will offer quality healthcare for women and children and be a shining example of India-Bhutan development cooperation.

The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk Mother and Child Hospital is a state-of-the-art 150-bedded facility that has been built with the assistance of the Government of India in Thimphu.

"Inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, which stands as a beacon of hope for several families, offering quality healthcare," Modi posted on X.

He said the new facility embodies a commitment to nurturing a healthy future generation.

"A boost to partnership in healthcare. PM @narendramodi together with PM @tsheringtobgay of Bhutan inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu. The state-of-the-art hospital is a shining example of India-Bhutan development cooperation,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

India has supported the development of the hospital in two phases. The first phase was constructed at a cost of Rs 22 crore and has been operational since 2019. The construction of the second phase was taken up in 2019, as part of the 12th Five Year Plan at a cost of Rs 119 crore, and was completed recently, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

It said that the newly constructed hospital would add value to the quality of mother and child health services in Bhutan. The new facility will house state-of-the-art facilities for Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Anesthesiology, Operation Theatre, Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care.

“The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk Mother and Child Hospital stands as a shining example of India-Bhutan partnership in health care,” it added.

"Bhutan has been receiving a lot of support from India, especially in the health sector, starting from the three referral hospitals and also other health facilities,” Bhutan Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk told PTI Videos.

“It is an honour for us to have Shri Narendra Modi here, inaugurating the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother and Child Hospital," he said, adding that this hospital is purely dedicated to the mothers and the children of Bhutan.

He added that there is a proposal for a cancer hospital which will come up on this campus only. “We are referring all the cancer patients to India. So after the completion of the cancer hospital, I think this will also enhance the tertiary care of health services in Bhutan,” he added.

Modi, who arrived in Bhutan on Friday for a two-day State visit to further cement India's unique relations with the Himalayan nation, called on the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and held talks with Prime Minister Tobgay on Friday.

He also announced that India will provide support of Rs 10,000 crore to Bhutan over the next five years.

Bhutan's King Wangchuck conferred the ‘Order of the Druk Glyalpo’ to Prime Minister Modi at a public ceremony here on Friday, making him the first foreign Head of the Government to receive the honour.

The award recognises Prime Minister Modi’s contribution to strengthening the India-Bhutan friendship and his people-centric leadership.

"It is with great humility that I accept the Order of the Druk Gyalpo. I am grateful to HM the King of Bhutan for presenting the Award. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India. I am also confident that India-Bhutan relations will keep growing and benefit our citizens," Modi wrote in a post on X on Friday night.

India and Bhutan established diplomatic relations in 1968.

The basic framework of India- Bhutan relations has been the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was revised in February 2007.

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