The Bhutanese Leading the way.
During the 7th Meet-the-Press session, concerns were raised about patients being referred too late, as reported by doctors in Kolkata, India. This issue is perceived as a shortcoming in the healthcare system.
To this, the Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk, said that patients are sent to Kolkata specifically during their final stages of illness. He emphasized that this decision does not indicate a failure in the healthcare system.
“The answer is already in the question: We send patients to Kolkata when they are close to dying or when we cannot track the individual’s disease, and as the Minister of Health, I don’t believe this reflects a failure in our healthcare system,” Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said.
The Health Minister highlighted a concerning issue where health workers tend to blame one another for not providing early intervention, further complicating the situation.
Patients from the 19 Dzongkhags who cannot be treated are brought to the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). However, if treatment is not possible at JDWNRH, these patients are then sent to Kolkata, India.
“Some people request to be sent to foreign counties for treatment, even when they can be treated at JDWNRH, due to a lack of trust in our health workers,” the Health Minister noted. He stressed that such cases should be thoroughly investigated and reviewed by the referral committee. Only after this review, and by referral guidelines, is the decision made to send a patient.
The Health Minister further explained that even when the referral hospital confirms that a patient cannot be treated, the decision to send the patient to foreign countries is often influenced by the patient’s inability to endure the pain.
“If a patient’s disease is detected early, there are opportunities for treatment and prevention before it becomes severe,” Lyonpo stated, and also said, “To address this, the Ministry of Health aims to maintain partnerships with foreign countries, introduce advanced technologies, and enhance early prevention measures for diseases, such as cancer to prevent them from reaching advanced stages.”
