The National Council today discussed the Bhutan Institute of Medical Sciences Bill.
Introducing the bill, the Health Minister said the establishment of a medical institute in the country will enable the government to provide adequate number of doctors in all the districts.
In the 10th Five Year Plan, the health ministry planned to provide three doctors including a gynecologist in each district. The ministry has not been able to achieve the target so far.
The health minister identified shortage of health professionals and staff as the biggest challenge confronting the health service.
As per the ministry’s human resource master plan projection, Bhutan will require 231 specialists, 135 general doctors, 54 dental surgeons and a few thousand nurses and allied health workers in the next 12 years.
About 300 MBBS students are currently undergoing studies in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but only 16 will be graduating every year after 2012.
The health ministry spent about Nu.80 million within six to seven months on referral of patients outside Bhutan.
The health minister said with enhanced capacity, kidney transplants and cancer treatment could be performed in Bhutan cutting down the cost of referring patients outside.
With first batch of 50 students, the institute is scheduled to open in July this year.
The Bill is expected to be adopted on Friday.
