The assignment of neonatologist Antonia Bartetzko lasted a total of six weeks, marking the official start of the GZI “Clinic Partnerships” program between Charité Berlin and the Referral Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan. During her attachment, she accompanies her medical colleague – he is the country’s only neonatal physician! – in the pediatric intensive care unit. She participates in morning rounds and discusses disease detection and therapy for critically ill infants with her specialist colleagues. The Berlin doctor offers numerous training courses on various topics, in which different resident doctors repeatedly participate to report on their daily work and present special cases. The nursing staff in the wards are also involved in the further training measures to improve the medical standard of premature and neonatal care.
A major problem in Bhutan is the lack of follow-up care for patients in the provinces, as both infrastructure and outpatient doctors are lacking in the country. Currently, there are only 18 trained pediatricians in the entire country.