The Bhutanese Leading the way.
There are concerns that with hospitals now staffed with younger and less experienced medical professionals and technicians there are anecdotal incidents of medical errors coming in from medicine dosage to even being unable to draw blood.
The Minister of Health (MoH) Tandin Wangchuk shared that there is a proper system in health care to support young and enthusiastic medical professionals and technicians who are now staffing hospitals.
He said, “Many experienced medical professionals have retired or left the country in recent years but we are fortunate to have systems in place to support the young and enthusiastic medical professionals.”
He shared that senior medical professionals are actively involved in clinical mentoring and supervision to improve the experience of their younger colleagues. Such mentorship helps bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, ensuring that high standards of patient care are maintained.
“We have systems in place to monitor the performance of all healthcare workers. These include regular audits, case reviews, and adherence to established clinical protocols to reduce the occurrence of errors.”
He reassured that during an event of errors following established standards, they are investigated thoroughly to ensure accountability and to implement corrective actions that prevent recurrence. This oversight system ensures that patient safety remains the top priority and that any deviations from professional standards are addressed promptly and effectively.
“People should report such error cases to help improve the services. Despite Bhutan being a developing country, we have the lowest error in the medical with 2 -3 percent compared to the international standard which is around 10 – 11 percent.”
The MoH focus remains on fostering a culture of continuous learning, teamwork, and accountability to provide the highest quality of care to improve the well-being and condition of our patients.
