Current shortage of nurses will be effectively addressed within a few years: Health Minister

Bhutan’s health sector has been struggling with a persistent shortage of nurses, but recent updates from the Ministry of Health (MoH) suggest steady progress is being made.

According to Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk, the National Medical Services (NMS) recruited 191 Diploma Nurses effective 15th September 2025. 

All of them are graduates of Bhutan’s three nursing institutions, and have been placed under the supervisory and support category.

“In addition, NMS is currently processing the recruitment of 100 B.Sc. (National) Nurses on contract, whose appointment will be initiated by October 2025,” Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said.

MoH has also been exploring foreign recruitment to bridge immediate gaps, though the process has faced some challenges. 

“Recruitment of foreign nurses has been challenging due to difficulties in attracting candidates within the proposed pay package,” Lyonpo said. 

Despite this, NMS successfully selected 32 nurses out of 145 applicants from India, who are set to be appointed from October 2025. 

Recruitment for additional foreign nurses is also scheduled to begin the same month.

While foreign recruitment provides short-term relief, the government is focusing on long-term sustainability by strengthening the domestic nursing workforce. 

Nursing institutions across the country have steadily increased their annual intake, with 650 students enrolled in 2025.

“With the ongoing efforts to train more national nurses domestically, we are positive that the current shortage of nurses will be effectively addressed within a few years,” Lyonpo said.