The health ministry has referred a total of 4,628 patients to India from 2008 to 2013, incurring about Nu. 644 million. The Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk, said that the ministry is also looking at possibilities to treat some of common disease like Kidney problem within the country. He was responding to a question in the National Council.
Gasa MP Sangay Khandu said that the medical referral committee at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital takes decisions in referring the patients as per certain criteria. However, he said, there are concerns about referrals made directly by the government.
In response, the health minister said out of the total referral cases only 70 were made directly made by the government, incurring an expenditure of Nu. 12.2 million. He added it comes to two percent of the total referral cases and expenditure.
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“The referrals approved by the executives are mainly for the emergency and for non-relative kidney transplant. Emergency treatment also includes students studying in India, people travelling for pilgrimages. The referral committee does not have authority for non–relative donor transplant and therefore such approvals were accorded to the executives,” explained the minister.
Lyonpo also informed the House the ministry won’t be able to provide details of the patients referred and their diseases. “The Bhutan Medical and Health Council regulation prohibits in disclosing individual patients’ identity and the disease.”
Trongsa MP, Tharchen raised concern on the late diagnosis of the diseases, which later led to referral cases. He added that health ministry should focus more on creating public awareness on different diseases.
The minister also informed the House that the ministry is continuing to create public awareness on non-communicable and other diseases.
