A hospital that spells health for Dagana
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| GNH SIGN OF PROGRESS – The new 20-bedded hospital in Dagapela |
22 November, 2008 – Better equipment, proper medical facilities, professional doctors, more rooms and segregated wards in Dagapela’s new hospital, opened on November 19, are expected to greatly increase the quality of medical care for the people of Dagana dzongkhag.
The new hospital was inaugurated by the minister of labour and human resources, Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi, along with National Council and National Assembly members of the dzongkhag.
The minister said that the inauguration of a hospital in Dagapela, coinciding with the celebrations of the three great events in the kingdom, was a very auspicious occasion. “This is because we are making progress in fulfilling the nation’s developmental philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Both the patients and health staff have to shoulder the responsibility in order to ensure quality health services,” he said.
The 20-bed hospital in Dagapela has an X-ray room, operation theatre, laboratory, separate wards for men and women, delivery room, dental services, mortuary, patient kitchen and laundry. The hospital also has a conference hall and a multi purpose one.
Indigenous treatment is also carried out by Dungtsho Tashi Chhophel, whose dispensary is attached within the new hospital.
However, the new hospital will have to wait for few months to get its new equipment installed, since technical personnel have to come from India.
According to some officials all the new equipment is ready and they are waiting for people to come from India, who are at the present not able to enter the country due to security reasons.
Previously Dagapela had a grade II basic health unit (BHU), which lacked most facilities and space.
According to previous BHU staff, a women delivering babies, children who are ill, and severely wounded people were all treated in the same room.
They said that, although they used screens to separate the patients, it was quite embarrassing for women in labour. There was also the risk of disease transmission.
With the new hospital, people in Dagana will not have to go all the way to Thimphu for medical treatment.
Ap Pema, 56, from Khebisa, said that the new hospital was like a light in the darkness as he shares his experience of going through the difficulty of coming to Thimphu for medical treatment.
He told Kuensel that he had travelled several times to Thimphu to get his children medical treatment and encountered difficult times.
“It was difficult travelling with sick children, then living in expensive hotels in Thimphu and, most irritating of all, waiting for days to see the doctor,” he said.
He said that it was a big kidu for those of who could not afford to take their sick to Thimphu or other nearby hospitals.
Goshi gup Phub Tshering said that earlier the BHU was able to treat only common diseases like cough and cold, headache and diarrhoea, and that people had to travel to nearby hospitals in other dzongkhags and Thimphu for serious cases, wherein they incurred heavy expenditure.
“The new hospital will immensely benefit many people and we are proud to have a hospital in our very own dzongkhag,” he said.
Many people, who came to see their new hospital being inaugurated, said that most of the time they had to travel to Thimphu at their own expense during an emergency. All of them expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the royal government of Bhutan for the new hospital.
The MP of Drujeygang-Tseza constituency, Sonam Jamtsho, said that the new hospital, which is situated near the highway, can also cater quickly to road accident victims.
The hospital was built at a cost of Nu 55 million to benefit the total population of about 23,000 people under Dagana dzongkhag.
Gunja Raj Gurung, district health officer of the dzongkhag said that, out of 14 gewogs in Dagana, 11 have access to the new hospital.
He said that it would focus more on preventive and promotive services by introducing a health education programme and family planning service.
When asked why the new hospital was built in Dagapela instead of the vicinity of dzongkhag HQ, Dr Dorji Wangchuk, director general of the medical services, said that it was done in line with the aspirations of His Majesty the fourth King to bring services where more people are accessible.
The construction work on the hospital began in November 2005 and was executed by JD construction company.
By Gyeltshen (Kuenselonline)