Bhutan’s Prime Minister Turns Doctor Every Saturday

Lotay Tshering is busy treating and operating patients at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Bhutan every Saturday and this is quite natural of any physician. But Lotay Tshering is not an ordinary doctor, as, during the rest of the week, he also happens to be the Prime minister of the Himalayan kingdom, which measures the growth of its economy with Gross National Happiness or GNH.

Lotay Tshering, who is elected the Prime Minister of Bhutan last year in its third democratic election since the end of monarchy in 2008 says, “For me it’s a de-stresser”. The 50-year-old Prime Minister of Bhutan also says, “Some people play golf, some do archery, and I like to operate. I am just spending my weekends here”.

In the hospital also, it is a natural scene as nurses and hospital attendants continue with their jobs as usual without bothering that the Prime Minister is also working with them may be in the operation theatre beside them.

Back in the Prime minister’s office, Tshering keeps his lab coat beside his chair. Tshering says the coat serves as a reminder of his election pledge that is to focus on the healthcare.

In Bhutan, patients don’t have to pay directly for healthcare services. But there is much more to be done in the health sector in the country, which has a population of 750,000 people.

The Prime Minister also believes that the job of a Prime Minister is also like a doctor, “At the hospital I scan and treat patients. In the government, I scan the health of policies and try to make them better” he says.

Lotay Tshering is trained in medical science from Bangladesh, Japan, Australia and the United States and began his political career in 2013. But in the election of 2013, his party failed to gain many seats to rule the country.

After he lost the election, King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck entrusted him with the responsibility to lead a team of doctors and travel with the monarch’s entourage to the interior villages to provide free medical treatment to people.

After becoming the Prime Minister of the country he continues with his work as he spends Saturdays treating patients, Thursday mornings he offers medical advice to trainees and doctors. But Sunday is for his family.

The Buddhist kingdom is unique in many ways, as it has benchmarked itself on happiness instead of economic growth.

One of the important aspects of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness is the conservation of its environment. Bhutan is also carbon negative nation and its constitution has already made a provision so that 60% area of the country to remain forested all the time. Bhutan’s capital Thimphu has no traffic lights, the sale of tobacco and tobacco product is banned and television was allowed till 1999.

But the “Land of the Thunder Dragon” also has its own problems, like corruption, unemployment, rural poverty and criminal gangs. Though we can hope that in coming years Bhutan is sure to overcome from all these problems, as it is clearly reflected in the positive attitude of the leadership.