Could separating health workforce from the civil service reverse the trend of professionals leaving the system? The professionals are said to be resigning at an alarming rate undermining the quality of service. As the health sector faces a growing crisis, the council’s economic affairs committee is recommending delinking the workforce from the civil service.
Nearly 1000 health professionals left the system over the last five years.
And most of them are nurses, who are the backbone of the system, providing direct patient care. Even worse, specialists are also resigning. According to the National Medical Services, the attrition rate among doctors including specialists was 2.3 per cent, nurses 6.4 per cent and other health workers 4.7 per cent until September this year.
Law makers are now treating it as a serious concern that needs to be addressed soon.
Tshewang Rinchen, the Chairperson of the Economic Affairs committee said, “Among doctors, pharmacists and medical technologists along with many others, there is 26.4 per cent shortage. In numbers, we are short of 1,576 staff. It looks critical. We all know the reason for the shortage. Firstly, there are issues in recruitment and secondly, many people are quitting.”
Some council members suggested for more proper research to understand the shortage.
Phuntsho Rapten, Eminent Member of National Council said, “In the review report, there should be a value addition. Otherwise, there is no extra information as it is already there in annual health bulletin.”
Namgay Dorji, Punakha MP of National Council said, “There are colleges such as Apollo, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, Aurora and RTC for training health professionals. Yearly, many students graduate from these colleges. After graduation, most of them go overseas. They go there because they get PR and the income is better. Has the committee talked with the Royal Civil Service Commission about such issues?”
The review report on the health care system recommended that to frame and implement a differentiated and motivated health workforce strategy, the management of human resources must first be de-linked from the general civil service structure or provide an autonomy. This function should be assigned to a dedicated agency or a specialised unit within the health ministry, allowing it to design and implement a distinct human resource framework for the health sector. In partnership with relevant agencies, this body would establish specialised career progression pathways, introduce workload and specialty-based remuneration, redesign the performance-based forced-ranking system, and develop a robust retention package with substantial incentives.
This is expected to create a conducive and dynamic work environment to retain the health workers.
The Chairperson of Economic Affairs committee said, “Unlike the general civil service, the healthcare workers should have different policies. Everyone from doctors to the ESP and GSP workers should have different facilities or different time. Therefore provide different incentive according to the time. Moreover, if their capacity and career development is made flexible, they will come to work with interest.”
The deliberation will continue.
Singye Dema/Sangay Chozom
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
