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8. OUTLOOK FOR THE
FUTURE
8.1 Overall
assessment and strategic issues
In Bhutan,
to strengthen the overall health service and decentralize management and
services, human resource is required at all levels for programme management
as well as promotive and curative services. The
situation has been improving with more candidates joining the medical
profession in the recent years. The number of specialists trained in medicine
and management areas are even less. The situation regarding paramedics is
much better, because the training of paramedics is conducted within the
country.
The
Health Trust Fund initiative has already been launched, but much work remains
to be done to accumulate the required capital to invest in a reliable
financial institute and regularize the use of the proceedings from the Trust
Fund. Only when everything is in place, Bhutan will be able to assess the
impact of the Trust Fund imitative has made to make health care services
sustainable. On the other hand, the contributing factors to health extend
beyond the health sector. Unless due attention is given to coordinate efforts
with other important Government organizations like Environment, Trade,
Industries, Mines, Agriculture, Education, Municipal corporations, Ministry
of Health will face the formidable task of containing the health problems
caused by other sectors. This aspect needs to be viewed seriously in order to
consolidate the progress that has already been made in various areas of
health.
Having
achieved the desired level of health coverage, the country is focusing on
improving the quality of health care services. There have been cases of
enormous civil structures in the districts with no doctor and hence no
patients. The situation has steadily improved over the years. Yet there is
large scope for improvements. As three people – one health assistant, one
assistant nurse midwife, and one basic health worker – staff the basic health
units, their functions can hardly be distinguished, as one has to substitute
the other every now and then. Similarly, not all the district hospitals have
similar facilities. Hence, the next five years will be devoted to set up
standards of services and facilities to be made available and for their
implementation.
8.2 Future vision
In
‘Bhutan Vision 2020’ document, the Government has set its priorities for all
the sectors for the next 15 to 20 years. Eight priorities have been spelled
out in this document to guide the Health Sector during this entire period.
These long-term priorities are further taken into consideration during the
formulation of the Five-Year Plans of the Health Sector.
8.3 Basic
Health Indicators including the UN Millennium Development Goals
Related
Links MDG
Reports See Annex-1.
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