The Health Ministry’s comprehensive health screening for Samtse residents is receiving a good response. In the last three days, around four hundred people availed themselves of the various health services at the screening.
The screening, which began on Wednesday has come as a good opportunity for the residents of Samtse, a high-risk district.
Due to the seven days mandatory quarantine, they have not been able to visit National Referral Hospital in Thimphu for health services unavailable at the district hospital.
Tshering Phuntsho, a resident in Norboogang Gewog said, “I came here because I came to know that health specialists from Thimphu were here. We could not go to Thimphu to avail ourselves of special health services as we need to stay in quarantine. It will incur us more expenses. Likewise, it is also a burden to the government. But since the health experts here, I came here for an endoscopy service.”
The programme also has a specialized camp comprising six health specialists and technicians.
They include gynaecologist, paediatrician and eye specialist among others.
Karma Lhendup, a chief medical officer of Samtse Hospital said, “We do have a few health specialists here. In addition to it, we now have an Eye and an ENT specialist from Thimphu. Likewise, we also have Endoscopic services in this specialized team.”
“We had many patients who could not go to Thimphu to avail themselves of such services due to the mandatory quarantine. Now those people who were left behind and the backlog patients can avail the services here,” he added.
The team will be in Samtse for about two months. Besides Samtse, the health ministry is conducting the screening programme in other high-risk areas.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Sonam Wangdi
