Upgrading the grade II Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Yoeseltse Gewog to a grade one BHU was discussed in the recently concluded Dzongkhag Tshogdu in Samtse. Despite the district health office saying the gewog is not eligible for an upgrade, the DT resolved to write to the health ministry.
First constructed as a sub-post some four decades ago, the grade II BHU in Yoeseltse Gewog has seen better days. Today, some parts of the ceiling have fallen off, while the toilet inside is unusable. A renovation of the BHU in the current five-year plan was pushed to the next plan citing budget constraints.
However, the issue was more about the services the BHU cannot provide than its condition. The Yoeseltse gup during the DT session said the BHU isn’t big enough for the number of people it needs to cater to.
“We have two neighbouring gewogs. So, the three gewogs have about 13,000 people. If we compare, we are larger than dzongkhags like Gasa and Haa. So, given the large population, we should be eligible for the upgrade,” said Ganga Prasad Limboo, the Yoeseltse Gup.
The gup added that people have to take a lot of trouble to reach Samtse General Hospital and often returning without getting service.
“The general hospital stops blood tests by 1 pm. People don’t drive private cars, so they have to rely on taxis, which are also not available on the go. So, if people miss the 1 pm, they have to return the next day,” he added.
Likewise, the Samtse General Hospital makes ultrasound services available for pregnant mothers at the BHU when required. This is done to decongest the hospital in Samtse. However, patients at the BHU wish for the upgrade.
“Today, the sister here called me since the ultrasound service was in the BHU. If they ask us to go to Samtse, it’s difficult to get a vehicle. There it takes a lot of time, sometimes about five hours. After that, we have to again look for a vehicle to come back. If we get a doctor for the BHU here, we would be grateful,” said Sonam, one of the patients.
“Population wise, Samtse has the highest number of people. It’s not that the Samtse hospital is not up to standard with their service, but the number of people visiting the hospital itself is quite huge, and this takes time. If we are late to start from here, what would take a day to check up turns into two days,” added Jambay Dorji, another patient.
In the DT session, the district health officer said, given the proximity of the BHU to Tashichhoeling Hospital and Samtse General Hospital, it is not eligible for the upgrade.
“In the screening tool to see if a BHU is eligible for an upgrade, we look at the distance. If it is more than 100 kilometres from the nearest hospital, it’s 20 points, and we also look at the population. The total land area of a BHU also needs to be considered. A grade one BHU should have at least five acres. Considering these parameters, the BHU is not eligible for an upgrade,” said Thinlay Choden, the Senior Dzongkhag Health Officer of Samtse.
Despite this, the DT however, decided to write to the health ministry and Ugyentse_Yoeseltse constituency’s Member of Parliament to consider the legal provisions given the request is coming from the people.
Sherub Dorji, Samtse
