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. 2025 Feb 10;8(2):e70459.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70459. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Reducing Health Inequities Through Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Experience From Bhutan

Nomina Pradhan  1 , Monu Tamang  2 , Sagar Rai  1 , Choeda Gyaltshen  3 , Choney Dema  4 , Mimi Lhamu Mynak  4 , Michael Canestrari  5 , Kenneth Christopher Sands  6 , Kuenzang Wangdi  4
Affiliations

Reducing Health Inequities Through Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Experience From Bhutan

Nomina Pradhan et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Background and aims: Bhutan is a low-middle-income country with a 0.7 million population with a high burden of musculoskeletal conditions. Recognizing the high burden of osteoarthritis, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was launched in the country in 2022. However, Bhutan continues to refer complicated cases to India. In 2024, International Operation, a US-based nonprofit secular and humanitarian organization, conducted a TKA camp in Bhutan. This perspective aims to report about the camp and discuss how such camps help reduce healthcare disparities.

Method: We compiled data on patients who underwent total knee or hip arthroplasty in last 7 years from the registry maintained at National Referral Hospital of Bhutan. We shared our experience of hosting TKA camp and discuss how such camps might help reduce healthcare disparities.

Result: In last 7 years, Bhutan referred increasing number of patients for total knee and hip arthroplasty to India. Royal Government of Bhutan spends Nu. 250,000 (approximately US$3000) per patient excluding expenses for travel, logistics, and medications. A team from International Operation conducted TKA on 31 patients during the camp.

Conclusion: Such camps would help reduce the healthcare disparities in low- and middle-income countries.

Keywords: health equities; osteoarthritis; surgical camp; total knee arthroplasty.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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