The increasing number of COVID-19 cases is taking a toll on the limited number of health workers in the country. To meet the immediate need, the Health Ministry is going to recruit 154 additional health professionals. The new recruits will be deployed to health facilities without doctors and to regional hospitals.
Shortage of doctors and health workers has always been a concern and the need for them is felt even more today with around only 3,000 health workers in the country.
To prepare for community transmission in other districts and to ease the burden on the health workers, Health Ministry requested the Royal Civil Service Commission to allow the recruitment. Royal Civil Service Commission usually employ health workers in January.
Around 33 MBBS Students studying in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other countries who will be graduating this year have registered with Health Ministry in so far.
Sangay Thinley, the Chief Human Resource Officer with the Health Ministry says recruiting the professionals was based on the immediate need, “there are six health facilities where there are no doctors. Six doctors will be sent to this BHU like Jomotshangkha, Samdrupcholing, Khaling, Chhukha, Rangjung and Khamdang. As you know we are in short of doctors as always.”
Similarly, 20 clinical nurses, 75 staff nurses, 16 lab technicians and 13 radio technicians have also registered themselves with the Health Ministry.
“We are recruiting 154 who recently passed out or who are going to graduate this year. So if required we have to pull from other institutes like from Nursing Faculty from RTC and Apollo private nursing institute. Not only that we have been using their students in fact from March,” he added.
The ministry also trains students studying at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences and deploy them as per the need put forward by Technical Advisory Group. They recently deployed 103 students to Royal Centre for Disease Control.
Health Ministry prior to lockdown has employed 50 doctors who are undergoing specialisation abroad. 25 lab technicians were also temporarily recruited.
Sangay Chezom
