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1. TRENDS IN POLICY
DEVELOPMENT
‘Bhutan
2020: A vision for peace prosperity and happiness’ has clearly shown the
commitment to improve the quality of life of the people through improving
health and education, preserving Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage and
maintaining is precious environment. The eight five year plan (1997-2002)
provides an indication to the stated long-term health services objective as
“To promote the health of the whole population so as to enable every citizen
to lead a socially and economically productive life and within the broader
framework of overall national development to enhance the quality of life of
the people through better health care in the spirit of social justice and
equity”.
The specific health objectives of the eight
five year plan are to:
 Intensify population planning
activities
Consolidate and strengthen
existing health infrastructure
Promote self-reliance and
sustainability in the health sector
Strengthen human resource
development for effective implementation of health services
Enhance the quality of health care
services
Extend health care services to the
unreached areas, and
Review the Health-For-All status
and make renewed efforts to achieve the remaining goals.
Following
are some major policy issues which may have not been written but are
understood and implemented:-
Bhutan is committed to establish a
relevant and cost effective health care delivery system based on the PHC approach that effectively delivers health
care services to all people of Bhutan.
Provision of health care is free
at the point of delivery. While
constant efforts will be made to deliver free health care services on a
cost-effective basis, possibilities of introducing some kind of cost-sharing
will be explored
Those aspects of traditional
medicine, which are complementary to formal health care will be integrated in
the system
The integrated PHC system will be continued; vertical programmes
have been phased out (Asian Development Bank: Bhutan-1999 Country Portfolio
Review and Country Programming Confirmation for 2000 Mission, Memorandum of
Understanding)
Related Links
Ministry of Health
Bhutan
Ministry of
Health Bhutan - Plan
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