The year 2024 for has been transformative for the Ministry of Health (MoH), marked by significant strategic planning, appointment of new health officials, and international collaborations aimed at enhancing effective healthcare services across the county.
The year began with the scarf offering ceremony, where the MoH recognized 27 officials promoted to new positions. The ministry welcomed 13 new officer recruits in Professional and Management Category (PMC) who joined the ministry under various Departments and Offices.
On January 25, Dasho Karma Hamu Dorjee, the interim advisor for the ministry, officially concluded her role, paving the way for the newly appointed health minister, Tandin Wangchuk, who received Dakyen from His Majesty The King on 28 January.
Under the leadership of the new minister, the first meeting was convened on the long term national plan, and ministry’s 13th five year plan and its objective, outcome, key deliverables and indicators formulated to accomplish as part of the “Healthy Drukyul Program” by 2029.
On February 3, His Majesty The King granted dhar to appoint Secretary of the MoH, Pemba Wangchuk, who was serving as an Acting Secretary in the same ministry, while Gyem Bidha was appointed as the Director of the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA).
The ministry also established numerous partnerships with both national and international stakeholders. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the MoH and Gyalsuung Headquarters to foster collaboration and renew commitment to contribute to the success of the Gyalsuung Program. Further, the ministry also engaged in fruitful discussions with various international stakeholders, including Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh; and Carrie Morrison, Country Director and WFP Representative for Bhutan.
Additionally, the health minister convened a meeting with the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC); Founder of wheelchair center, Groholm Repestole; the Director General of International Solar Alliance; Lily Li Yagchun, Founder of Harvard Wealth Strategy and Management; and George Bickersrtaff, Chairperson of the International Vaccine Institute and Vice Chair of the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. During the meeting, they explored potential collaboration opportunities and common interests, mapping out a direction for future cooperation.
One of the landmark achievements in the health sector during the year was the inauguration of Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital (GJPWMCH) by His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, and Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, marking a historic collaboration in healthcare. The 150-bedded GoI-funded hospital is designed to provide a high-end mother and child health services in obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and neonatology and serves as an apex referral center for the entire nation.
The year 2024 also marked significant advancements in healthcare infrastructure. The newly constructed Thromde Health Center in Phuentsholing and Motithang were inaugurated, equipped with modern health facilities. The construction of the Royal Center for Infectious Diseases (RCID) got underway with MoH signing and awarding the contract to a Japanese construction firm-Dai Nippon Construction (DNC). The USD 21 million project funded by the Government of Japan will be a world-class facility dedicated to research, management, and treatment of infectious diseases. The RCID will have a capacity of 80 beds, with provisions for 20 more during infectious disease emergencies.
The MoH also introduced several new initiatives in 2024 to improve healthcare services. The Pandemic Fund Project with a total fund of USD 4.95 million was launched with an implementation period of three years. The project aims to enhance Bhutan’s capacity in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response through the One Health approach, which includes human and animal health, as well as food safety and wildlife. Additionally, the health sector’s 13th FYP was launched, which outlined the Healthy Drukyul Program’s outcomes, outputs, key performance indicators, as well as the projects, activities and sub-activities that the health sector will focus on over the course of the next five years.
Following the successful implementation of the Fleming Fund phase I grant, the RGoB received the Fleming Fund phase II grant of £1.5 million. The Fleming Fund, a UK aid programme managed by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), supports up to 25 African and Asian countries in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a leading contributor to deaths from infectious diseases worldwide. To kick-start the Fleming Fund phase II, an inception workshop was held from 8-10 July 2024, concluding technical details for planned grant activities, including the country investment strategy framework, surveillance site, data and evidence work plans, budget, political economy analysis and quarterly monitoring reports.
The MoH in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders also observed and hosted several important days including World Patient Day. To safeguard against the potential risk of mpox outbreak and to ensure the country’s preparedness, the ministry received 200 units of mpox RT-PCR test reagents with support from WHO.
The MoH with support from UNICEF successfully installed a solar-powered refrigerator at Laya Primary Health Center (PHC) in Gasa. Given the frequent power interruptions in Laya, the installation of a solar-powered refrigerator was necessary. This installation represents a significant step towards ensuring vaccine potency and safety in one of Bhutan’s most remote places and contributes to ensuring that the people in this community receive quality vaccines.
A five-member delegation led by Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk attended the 77th Session of the WHO Regional Committee (RC) for South-East Asia in New Delhi, India from 7-9 October 2024. During the occasion, Bhutan received two prestigious public health achievement awards for achievements of SDG and Global 2030 targets for the reduction of under-5 mortality and stillbirth rates and achievements of the 2030 interim 90-70-90 targets towards the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem.
During the session, Bhutan, along with other member states of the WHO South-East Asia Region, adopted a Ministerial Declaration on Adolescent-Responsive Health Systems. The declaration aims to contribute to implementing policies, allocating resources, and providing -services tailored to the unique needs of adolescents for a healthier and more equitable future for all.
The Academic Honors Reception was also held in celebration of Dr. Dechen Wangmo, a distinguished MBBS graduate who earned an exceptional nine gold medals during her medical studies at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka.
As part of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2024, the MoH in collaboration with other stakeholders launched a factsheet detailing key findings from the first National Blood Lead Level Survey. The ministry also launched nationwide NCD screening program aimed at the early detection and prevention of NCDs.
The Total Knee Arthroplasty Camp was conducted from 21st – 23rd November 2024, through a joint collaboration between the Siriraj Hospital and Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital. This camp successfully conducted a total of 79 knee surgeries on 53 patients.
Further, a symposium on improving healthcare quality was organized by the Department of Health Services in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Services, National Medical Services (NMS), and MECRIT, KGUMSB. With the theme “Quality: From Compliance to Performance,” the symposium was organized to recognize the importance of improving healthcare quality in the country.
The civil servant service ceremony, held in December, honored 19 dedicated civil servants within the health sector, recognizing their contributions to health sectors. With the inauguration of new Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) by Her Majesty the Gyalyum Kesang Choden Wangchuck, it added another significant milestone in Bhutan’s healthcare landscape. The new 6-bedded SICU, generously funded by Her Majesty the Gyalyum through a donation of Nu 11.1 million, is equipped with advanced medical technology. The facility has been established to address the growing demand for specialized post-operative and critical surgical care. It will enhance patient outcomes, enable the hospital to undertake complex surgical procedures, support trauma and emergency management, and serve as a training hub for healthcare professionals in advanced critical care techniques.
By Nidup Lhamo from Thimphu
