The Bhutanese Leading the way.
NMS recruits 156 nurses from leading institutions
Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk said that to address the growing nursing shortage, the Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 145 foreign nurses for the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH).
This recruitment, set to occur in three batches, aims to strengthen the healthcare workforce as Bhutan faced significant attrition among local nurses.
Lyonpo also mentioned about the issue of pay disparity between local and foreign nurses by stating, “For example, the pay difference for nurses with 2-5 years of experience is Nu 7,566. And for those with 6-10 years of work experience, it is Nu 8,495, and over 10 years of experience is Nu 9,690. Considering the above the pay difference is minimal, especially these nurses are leaving their home country and families behind to come and work in Bhutan.”
He blamed the media for hilighting the pay gaps initially which delayed recruitment of foreign nurses and now with only a 30% pay gap as contract allowance he wondered if foreign nurses would even apply leaving their family behind.
Lyonpo also said that the urgency of the nurse recruitment is stressed by alarming statistics: “A total of 94 nurses resigned between January to 10 October 2024 and 106 nurses are currently on extraordinary leave (EOL). Out of 106 Nurses on EOL, 50 of them availed EOL in 2024. Additionally, 58 Nurses have served notice for resignation and 18 for EOL and they are currently serving the notice period.”
To strengthen local staffing, the NMS successfully recruited 156 nurses in August 2024, comprising 98 regular and 58 contract positions from several institutions. Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said, “They graduated in July 2024 from Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, Apollo Bhutan Institute of Nursing, Arura Academy of Health Science and Royal Thimphu College.”
To further address the nurse shortage in the country, he said, “A program called Extended Clinical Services (ECS) has been rolled out at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital for Operation theater and nurses. ECS is a scheme where a health worker can avail additional payment for overtime work.”
