Palliative Care: The Emerging Field in Bhutan.

The rise in noncommunicable diseases and initiation of cancer treatment in Bhutan, combined with a global recognition of the need for palliative care, led the country's Ministry of Health to identify the need for palliative care. A team of nurses at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu were recruited to launch the country's first homecare palliative program. The Bhutan Cancer Society contributed financially to this effort, and other nongovernment organizations and faculty at the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan School of Nursing contributed on the academia front.