The delay in the construction of a Basic Health Unit in Dagana is affecting health workers and patients alike as they grapple with space congestion.
The BHU is set-up temporarily on the ground floor of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu building, which has only four rooms.
Our reporter, Kuenzang Thinley, says that the consultations, injections, dressing and dispatching of medicines are all made from one single room. One room is reserved for emergency cases while the other two rooms are for the doctor and the store.
“With very little space, we have to all work in one room making it inconvenient,” says Dhamanti Ghalley, one of the health staff. The Lab Technician, Tshoki Dorji, shares the same story of being not able to conduct their tests properly.
It is not convenient for the patients as well.
The BHU is too small for us, says one of the patients. “Forget about admitting people, if they put a few beds in here, it would not be possible for the hospital staff to move around.”
Graded as the BHU I, it should have 10 beds and should also be providing meals to the patients. But, even the emergency room has just two beds, and that fills the space.
“We should actually be providing food to the patients and the hospital is also supposed to have 10 beds for admission. But as you can see, just a bed or two will fill up all the space.,” says Karma, a General Nurse Midwife of the BHU.
All of the problems have been aggravated with the delay in the construction of the new BHU. Had the construction of the new BHU been complete last December, health workers and patients wouldn’t have to endure the current problems.
The Dzongkhag engineering sector says they will now impose penalties to the contractor. “We are seriously worried about this. Because of his own personal problems, the contractor couldn’t complete the works on the stipulated time,” says Kinley, Assistant Dzongkhag Health Officer, Dagana.
The Dzongkhag engineer, Jamyang Dorji, says they will penalise the contractor according to the terms and conditions in the agreement.
The BHU has been operating from the same building for three years now.
There are close to 7,000 people in the three Gewogs of Tseza, Kana and Khebesa and they are being affected on a daily basis.
However, the good news is that the construction is expected to be complete in a few weeks’ time
