No.5 Public health-oriented response to COVID-19 in Bhutan: Addressing the shortage of human resources for health and medical facilities

  • #Knowledge Reports

Following the detection of the first case of novel coronavirus (hereafter referred to as COVID-19) in the Kingdom of Bhutan on March 5, 2020, the country successfully implemented several measures. These included stricter border controls than international standards, recruitment and redeployment of human resources for health, mobilization of volunteers, use of ICT (information and communication technology), as well as the implementation of national COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and collaboration between the health sector and other sectors. Under robust leadership, Bhutan managed to prevent widespread community transmission of COVID-19 until March 2022, when the Omicron variant outbreak occurred.

The country kept the cumulative number of COVID-19-related deaths to a remarkably low 21, equivalent to 26.84 per million people, by September 2022. Recognizing the difficulty of treating severely ill patients in Bhutan due to a shortage of human resources for health and inadequate medical facilities and equipment, the response to COVID-19 focused on public health measures—including lockdowns—to control the spread of the virus until the population had received multiple doses of the vaccine. This approach was underpinned by a consistent philosophy among national leaders to prioritize the protection of people’s lives by all means. The leadership effectively united the people throughout the implementation of the public health response, despite the restrictions it imposed on daily life.

Although some health resources were initially difficult to obtain domestically (such as COVID-19-related information and technology, vaccines, and medical equipment), these were introduced through international cooperation. Within the country, resources that were available included the participation of citizens and volunteers in the response to COVID-19, cooperation between the health sector and other sectors, and the use of ICT applications developed domestically. Additionally, substitute medical facilities were established to compensate for the shortage of existing medical capacity.

Keywords: COVID-19, public health, health systems, leadership, human resources for health

Author
WATANABE Kozo
Date of issuance
October 2024
Language
English
Number of pages
36
Related areas
  • #Asia
Topics
  • #Health
Research area
Human Development