With the inauguration of a new traditional medicine unit, yesterday in Tang Gewog in Bumthang, the Dzongkhag now has traditional medicine facilities in all its four gewogs. Bumthang’s traditional medicine team is also providing Elderly Care for people aged 60 and above for three days starting yesterday.
The new medical centre, which is near Tang Gewog office, has been set up after people raised the need for such a facility in the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. The facility is established in the old Tang BHU since the building has remained vacant for about a year, as the Gewog BHU has been moved to a new structure. According to traditional medicine officials, Tang Gewog has one of the highest numbers of patients seeking traditional medical care.
“As the Traditional Medical Unit couldn’t be introduced in Tang so far, all the patients from Tang had to come to Wangdicholing Hospital spending additional expenses over transportation and lodging facilities. That’s why there were lots of patients seeking medication from the General Hospital here. I am so pleased that we could bring the traditional medical service at the grass-root level,” said Tshering Pelden, a Drungtsho at the Wangdicholing General Hospital, Bumthang.
Till this afternoon, more than a hundred elderly people came to seek medical care from the new facility.
“The new facility will benefit the people of Tang, moreover as I have been regularly seeking traditional medical care, it would be really beneficial for me. Without traditional medication, I would have been bed-ridden already,” said Paydon, from Kuenzangdrag under Tang in Bumthang.
Moreover, people are now happy with the facilities right at their doorsteps.
“I am really happy that we now have the traditional medicine unit at our doorstep. With the traditional medical therapy, if the pain around my knee heals properly, I would be able to travel to different places and attend religious discourses,” shared Rinchen Pem, from Gemzhong under the same gewog.
“People of Tang who have been seeking traditional medication from Wangdicholing Hospital so far are very happy with the new facility. It has been so inconvenient for us poor farmers who have no cars to avail the medical service from Wangdicholing Hospital,” added Tashi Dorji, from Tandigang in Tang.
As of today, there are only 76 traditional medical units in the country. People say there is a need to extend the service to more gewogs across the country.
“It is important that the traditional medical facilities are established in as many gewogs as possible regardless of how remote the gewogs are. It would greatly benefit the people if the government establish such facilities all over the country,” said Ugyen Nima, the Tang Gup.
The Elderly Care programme was initiated after the Health Ministry identified and trained traditional medical officials from 5 districts in August last year. In Bumthang, the service will be also provided to patients in the other three gewogs of Bumthang within this year.
Kipchu
