Performance Compacts 31 July, 2010 - Reducing waiting time for patients visiting the Thimphu referral hospital, which was to be a reality starting today, is postponed.
To improve ‘operational efficiency,’ under the accelerating Bhutan’s socio–economic development initiative (ABSD), the health ministry had set itself a target to reduce patient waiting time by 30 to 40 percent starting August in Thimphu first, and all health centres across the country later.
As one of the first agencies to sign performance compacts with the prime minister, various commitments were made in December 2009.
Health minister Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa said they were unable to meet the deadline because, while determining the baseline in consultation with McKinsey to set the target, the data were incorrect. “We’re now revising the deadline in consultation with McKinsey and Co.,” he said.
Medical director of Thimphu referral hospital, Dr Ngawang Tenzin, said the volume of 800 patients a day were calculated while setting the target. He said the data was of year 2008 and the number had increased substantially this year. “We see an average of 1,600 patients a day,” he said.
To save patient time, the hospital had begun keeping at least one doctor at their respective chambers by 9 am since April, but manpower constraints pose serious challenges, the medical director said. “There are chambers remaining vacant because the person has to leave for emergency or official duties,” Dr Ngawang Tenzin said.
The health minister Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa said transformaing hospital operations included complex issues. “We ‘re supposed to bring down the length of patients’ stay at the hospital, but we have a group of 14 patients, among whom, two have been in hospital for 21 years,” Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa said. “This affects the bed occupancy and we’re putting up a proposal to the cabinet on all these issues.”
The ABSD project started a year ago in July 2009, with consultants McKinsey and co. for 23 months. For the first three months, a team of Bhutanese and McKinsey consultants studied the current situation and came out with a blueprint of recommendations for specific sectors.
With more than six agencies having signed similar compacts with the prime minister, launch of many services have been delayed or could be delayed.
A negative list for tourists replacing the current road permit system was supposed to be published by the end of June, along with the processing of the first set of online visas. Work on the domestic air services to meet its October 1 deadline is yet to take off with the information and communication ministry having recently started the re-tender process for the services.
While signing the first set of compacts in December 2009, prime minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley had said it was for the first time a government ministry or agency signed agreements with him against set targets, subjecting themselves to accountability against those targets.
Asked about these delays and several agencies yet to sign compacts, works and human settlement minister Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, who was chairing the monthly ‘meet the press’ meeting in Thimphu yesterday said: “What is important is to do our job well and not rush towards signing of compacts and encountering difficulties thereafter.”
He said there are areas where a little more thinking is required because the matter is not that straightforward. “It involves the need for cooperation of so many other bodies, other agencies, ministries and we need to work together,” he said.
Citing examples of the construction industry, he said the works and human settlement ministry is yet to sign compacts because certain consultation process with various stakeholders had to be carried out. “If all issues are thrashed out clearly before the compacts are signed, the follow up and implementation are much faster and smoother. There should not be delays.”
Health officials said they are also likely to miss the September deadline to establish the first ICT enabled health help centre, which will offer various health services through an integrated hotline. The project was recently re-tendered.
“Confusions arose on the standard bidding documents (SBD) for hire of services and procurement of goods. For this project, we had to use both SBDs, but used only one,” Lyonpo Zangley Dukpa said, adding that problems arose with the rush to achieve deadlines. “I think sometimes, it’s good to face delays because we learn from it.” He said the ministry, for some projects, is ahead of deadlines but in some cases, circumstances had impeded the process.
Meanwhile, the ABSD website, www.gnhc.gov.bt/absd was launched yesterday.
By Phuntsho Choden
