A grade one basic health unit (BHU) in Samdrupcholing, Samdrupjongkhar, is in need of more space to provide better service.

The BHU has seven rooms, which are used by the officials and also as clinics.

The medical officer, Dr Ugyen Thinley, said they have to adjust two clinics in a room, making it difficult to provide medical service to the people.

He said the clinic for eye and the clinical officer was put in one room and laboratory and the malaria office in one room.

Dr Ugyen said that although the elderly people in Samdrupcholing drungkhag visit the indigenous clinic, there is no separate room. “It is important to design a clinic for an indigenous clinic in every BHU grade one” He said that he raised the issue in the Phuntshothang gewog tshogde and hope that the gewog officials raise it during the dzongkahg tshogdu.

Health ministry officials say that for infrastructure development, proposals should be routed through the local government institutions except for national and regional referral health facilities.

An official from the policy and planning division (PPD) said that the proposal has to be submitted taking into consideration the criteria prescribed in the screening tool for infrastructure and service standards for health workforce and associated service facilities.

The planning officer also said that the space problems might have occurred because it was an old BHU. “For infrastructure up-gradation and new construction, the proposal should be routed through GT and DT”

She said that the proposals that fulfil the criteria specified in the screening tool are always validated and considered for implementation.

The official also clarified that in the 12th Plan, given the emphasized decentralization and the resource allocation framework, the local governments can decide for a certain level of health infrastructures or facilities.

She said that under the decentralized structure, infrastructure development including the construction of BHUs, sub-posts and outreach clinics are budgeted and carried out by district health office in line with the guideline issued by the ministry.

Kelzang Wangchuk | Samdrupcholing

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