Nima Wangdi  

A Bhutan Power Corporation Ltd employee died with Covid-19 on March 28 morning. However, it was not reflected in the Covid-19 daily dashboard of the health ministry as of yesterday.

Those who knew the deceased wondered why the health ministry did not declare his death to the public. As of yesterday, the dashboard showed only 10 deaths related to Covid-19. The latest Covid-19 death was an unvaccinated  90-year old man who suffered from renal failure.

The deceased, in his late 20s, died at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital on March 28 after he tested positive for the virus. Kuensel confirmed that he was recently diagnosed with kidney failure and had high blood pressure.




The Red Cross cremated the body at Hejo crematorium yesterday. Sources from the Red Cross at the crematorium said that the body was wrapped and sealed like other Covi-19 patient deaths.

Those at the crematorium said that the information should have been shared with the public on March 28 evening as was the practice.

A Thimphu resident said usually the ministry updated the people on every case of death with Covid-19 on the ministry’s Facebook page and also explained the cause of death. “This time they did not for whatever reasons,” he said.

Kuensel confirmed from health personnel and those who worked with the deceased that he had died due to some complications during the dialysis.   




Kuensel learned that of the 3,497 active cases, 40 are in Covid-19 hospital, 611 are in isolation facilities and 2,846 are under home quarantine.

Likewise, 1,006 are said to be asymptomatic and 2,475 have mild symptoms. One each in Mongar, Phuentsholing, and Samtse, 10 in Thimphu, and two in Gelephu have moderate symptoms.

Kuensel also learned that one in Thimphu is in critical condition.

According to records, 25,876 people have tested positive to date since the onset of the pandemic and 22,369 have recovered.

The health ministry’s focal person for the surveillance could not be reached.