The Health Ministry today reported five more cases of COVID-19. The cases were detected in expatriates again. Netizens in the country have been questioning the government for importing the virus through the foreign workers despite the strict measures the public have been adhering to.
In the last month alone, from about 500 foreign workers, around 40 tested positive for the virus. The foreign workers, according to the Health Secretary, are for hydropower, construction for government’s projects and other necessary constructions.
Although the Health Ministry has made a requirement for all foreigners entering Bhutan to produce a COVID-19 Negative Certificate at the port of entry, it was found that waiting for three days for test result was not effective. Health Secretary Dr Ugen Dophu says the reason for the increasing number of foreign workers testing positive is mainly because of the waiting period for the test report. “People give sample for COVID today and they get report only after four days. And on the fourth day, they enter the country with a negative certificate. So, in the four-day cushion, the risk of contracting the virus is high, that’s why out of 100 foreign workers entering Bhutan, about eight per cent tests positive,” he said.
Today the government bear all the expenses for foreign workers entering Bhutan if they enter the country for the government’s project. If a private individual import foreign workers, the private owner bears their expenses. Quarantine of each foreign worker costs almost Nu 25,000. If an expatriate tests positive for the virus, the isolation costs of an individual shoots up to more than Nu 93,000. Some of them require ICU facilities which again inflates the expenses to more than Nu 123,000 and Nu 15,200 for deisolation.
Moreover, If a foreign worker is tested positive, from isolation to facilitating in ICU to deisolation, at an average, more than Nu 230,000 is spent on an individual person. However, the Secretary says COVID-19 should not lead to economic collapse:
“Bhutan cannot stay cowed down under COVID-19. We need to start our economic activity. And one important economic activity is construction work, hydropower, or ministries construction like health ministry’s construction of hospitals or building of roads. So we need to do it. Because of COVID, if we don’t do any of this, where can we employ our youth. And the whole of society will suffer because there is no economic activity.”
For now, Bhutan does not have skilled labourers to do necessary work for a few projects. The foreign workers are also expected to train young people. He, however, added that the ministry has suggested the Technical Advisory Group to test foreign workers on the day of entry.
“On the COVID free certificate, the present way of entering, giving the sample and getting report after four days, then entering Bhutan is not logical. That needs to be corrected. If that is corrected, then Bhutan government or private industry or individual can save a lot of money,” he added.
Almost 500 foreign workers from hydro, non-hydro and DANTAK have entered three southern districts in the country in the last one month.
Samten Dolkar
