Residents of Sergithang Gewog in Tsirang are struggling to access timely basic healthcare services due to the absence of permanent health workers at their Primary Healthcare Centre. It has remained vacant beginning this year after two health workers were superannuated and transferred. Since then, the Tsirang District Hospital has been deploying temporary health workers on a rotational basis. However, residents say, despite the temporary arrangement, it is inconvenient for them to get uninterrupted medical checkups, unlike in the past.
Currently, a health worker from Semjong Gewog is on a two-week duty at the centre providing medical checkups. But residents say that the centre often remains closed when health workers on temporary duties are called for training or other official duties.
One of the regular visitors to the centre is Leki Zam from Sergithang Toed Chiwog. Today, she is here for her own checkup. On other days, she visits the centre frequently for her nine-year-old son, who was diagnosed as a heart patient three years ago.
With her son’s health condition, Leki feels that having permanent health staff at the centre will be of immense help for her family and her fellow residents.
Leki Zam said, “Health workers have advised me to bring my son within 10 to 20 minutes after his illness. But our nearest option is the Tsirang Toed hospital, which takes time to reach. We are always worried about something happening on the way. My son’s health condition demands frequent checkups.”
Leki said, it is more than an hour’s drive to reach Tsirang Toed hospital from her chiwog. However, it only takes around 15 minutes to reach the centre. She said it is even difficult to arrange transportation during emergencies when they have to visit the Tsirang Toed hospital.
“When my son falls sick, I feel completely helpless. He can’t stand or move on his own. In the middle, I am losing my mind. Our only wish is to have permanent health workers in our own health centre in the gewog,” added Leki.
Other people in the gewog share the same concern and are urging authorities to send them permanent health workers at the earliest.
“I have high blood pressure, and it is very difficult. I have to visit the centre frequently to take medicines. But now we hardly meet health workers at the centre,” said Rup Maya Tamang, a resident of Semdenjong.
According to Sergithang Gup, the gewog administration has raised the issue with the health minister and Sergithang-Tsirang Toed MP, requesting for deployment of permanent health staff. He also said, patients travelling to Tsirang Toed hospital are further challenged due to poor road conditions.
Sergithang Gup Phub Dorji said, “Since the deployment of health workers has to be rooted through the Ministry of Health, Tsirang district and gewog administrations can’t do much. We are not expecting a doctor for every gewog as pledged by the government. But we would be grateful if primary healthcare centres in the gewogs are staffed with adequate health workers. This would ensure timely access to basic healthcare services.”
The MP also raised the issue in the National Assembly last month. However, the health minister didn’t provide a clear response on when permanent health staff would be deployed.
This issue is part of a broader shortage of health workers in the country. To address the gap nationwide, in a recent Meet the Press session, the health minister said 27 mobile medical vans with doctors and nurses will visit each gewog monthly to provide health services.
In the meantime, residents of Sergithangwill have to rely on the temporary measure but the need for more sustainable and long-term investments in rural health services will remain.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Kipchu
