The tags speak for themselves

At least 30 health officials travel out of the country in a month, which is one health official going out everyday.

But the issue, according to health workers in the dzongkahgs, is that a majority traveling outside are those at the headquarters and not people in the field for seminars, workshops and conferences for whom, it may be more relevant.

“We have seen human resource and planning officers travel for short term training, workshops and meetings, some of which are more relevant for field staff who will actually implement the health programmes,” said a health worker in Mongar. “It is only recently that few people from remote BHUs were sent for study tours and short term trainings.”

More than 50 officials left the country for short-term trainings, workshops, conferences and seminars in January 2009 alone. However, the foreign trips do not put a strain on the ministry’s budget because most trips are funded by external agencies, health officials said.

Government officials said people traveling abroad in place of relevant staff is common across the bureaucracy. “What is the relevance of national environment commission officials going for a road construction seminar? Shouldn’t engineers, technical and field staff from other organisations be going?” asked a GNH commission official. “A special audit should be conducted in all organisations to see how well such opportunities are being used.”

This trend has recently prompted the health ministry to streamline training opportunities and compile a list of nurses, technicians and others in the field, who have not been abroad at all for any training, study or seminar. Health minister, Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa, said one of the major changes made is that none of the officials in the headquarter will go abroad for three months starting December 2009.

A nurse in Thimphu referral hospital said that when she was in another district hospital, none of the field staff were sent for any training for almost five years. “Relevance of the training is not given importance. For instance, a nurse was trained for burns management in the United States and after coming back, she was sent to Phuentsholing as a general nurse instead of using her expertise in the burns unit,” said the nurse, who has been in the profession for almost 13 years. “Unless you please someone in the headquarter or know someone there, the chances of getting exposure though the field of workshop or training is relevant, is slim.”

Ministry officials said that health is a huge sector with almost 3,414 staff and receives a huge amount of programme-based funding from external sources. “There are complaints on the trips but we can’t make everyone happy,” said one official.

Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa said that a human resource committee will go through the list of people who have not received any training and they will be sent depending on the relevance of the trip. “Unlike in the past, names of those who have traveled are also posted on health ministry’s website to ensure transparency and equal opportunities,” he said.