From overwhelming workloads during peak times to delays in essential allowances, health workers stationed in the country’s remote areas face significant challenges that undermine their well-being and job satisfaction.
In response to these concerns, Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk said that the health ministry would launch several initiatives aimed at improving working conditions and morale of health workers in remote parts of the country.
“The government recognises the challenges faced by newly recruited health workers, particularly those stationed in remote areas,” Lyonpo said. “The Ministry of Health is fully aware of the difficulties these workers endure.”
He emphasised the importance of fair treatment and timely grievance resolution, alongside efforts to balance workloads, recruit additional support staff, and streamline the disbursement of travel and daily allowances.
A major complaint has been the excessive workload during public and government holidays, leading to burnout among staff due to increased demand.
Lyonpo said that the ministry was working towards a more balanced distribution of responsibilities during peak times.
“We are ensuring a fair distribution of tasks and encouraging the recruitment of additional support staff in high-demand areas,” Lyonpo said.
This effort is expected to ease the strain on health workers and ensure that the workload is managed more equitably, especially during busy periods.
“The government aims to formalise a transparent process where health workers are only assigned temporary duties in a fair, meritorious, and justified manner,” Lyonpo said.
This step is intended to bring greater transparency and fairness in the system, ensuring that reassignments are based on merit and necessity rather than arbitrary decision-making.
Another major issue has been the delay in disbursing travel and daily allowances, crucial for health workers in remote locations.
Acknowledging the problem, Lyonpo said that efforts were underway to streamline the process. “We are improving coordination between the finance and administrative departments to ensure that health workers receive their dues promptly,” he said.
Concerns about retaliation for reporting grievances have also been prevalent among health workers. In response, Lyonpo announced the implementation of incident reporting mechanisms in all hospitals, allowing staff to voice their concerns without fear of repercussions. These mechanisms will ensure that health workers can report injustices and have their issues addressed swiftly.
Lyonpo said that improving communication between health workers and administrative departments was a top priority. To achieve this, regular feedback channels have been set up to foster more direct communication.
“We have established monthly online meetings between the heads of departments and hospitals,” he said. “These meetings will allow for real-time discussion of any challenges faced by the health workers and ensure that problems are resolved efficiently.”
