Agartala, March 30: In a significant milestone for healthcare in the Northeast, Karma Uden Bhutia has become the first super-specialist hand surgeon from Sikkim and the wider region after completing an MCh in Hand Surgery from Christian Medical College, Vellore.
Hailing from Upper Syari, Bhutia completed her schooling at Tashi Namgyal Academy before pursuing an MBBS and MS in Orthopaedics from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. She subsequently built her career in orthopaedics, combining academic and clinical experience across multiple institutions.
Bhutia served as an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences for four years, followed by another four-year tenure as a specialist at Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital under the state government. These roles provided her with extensive exposure to surgical procedures and patient care.
After qualifying in the highly competitive NEET Super Speciality examination, she pursued advanced training in hand surgery, a field involving intricate procedures such as microsurgery, peripheral nerve repair, treatment of congenital deformities, and management of tendon and trauma-related injuries of the hand and wrist. Bhutia acknowledged the support of the state government in enabling her to undertake the super-specialisation.
She has now rejoined Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital, where her expertise is expected to significantly enhance the state’s capacity to treat complex hand and microsurgical cases. Her return is likely to reduce the need for patients to travel outside Sikkim for specialised care, marking an important step in strengthening regional healthcare services.
