Relation: Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay met with Thailand’s health minister, Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn at the Gyalyong Tshogkhang yesterday.
Lyonchoen shared that many Bhutanese preferred to go to Thailand for medical treatment – some funded by the government but mostly on their own expense. He requested the health minister to allow Bhutanese monks to get treatment in designated hospitals in Thailand.
In response, the minister said that he would be happy to put a system in place to accommodate monks from Bhutan to get treatment in the Priest hospital in Thailand.
Lyonchoen also requested the minister to assist Bhutan in research and development in traditional medicine. Dr Suriya Wongkongkathep, the director general for the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, reported that a team from Bhutan would be visiting Thailand soon to look at how traditional medicines are manufactured there.
Thanking the government and people of Thailand, Lyonchoen said that Bhutan has benefitted in human resource development through the TICA programme. Lyonchoen also said that by collaborating with the public health ministry and institutes, Bhutan has benefited with the specialised camps in the areas of eye and ENT (ear, nose, throat), which was received through the Thai Friendship Medical Mission to Bhutan and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Thai Red Cross Society Team, and The King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
The minister and his delegation are on an official visit to Bhutan until July 3.
Staff reporter