𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐩

…𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚

By Sonam Choden

Following growing public attention over the recent recruitment of Indian nurses, the Ministry of Health has clarified that the move was a temporary measure to address the country’s widening nursing workforce gap.
Dr. Kuenzang Wangdi, Director of National Medical Services, said the decision was necessary to ensure uninterrupted patient care while addressing the critical shortage of nurses that has directly impacted service delivery.

According to the Ministry, the country currently has 1,696 nurses against an approved standard of 2,376. At the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), there are 703 nurses against an approved strength of 881, of which 39 are on extraordinary leave (EOL) and 15 on long-term training (LTT). The attrition rate among nurses has risen sharply from 4.01 percent in 2022 to 16.1 percent in 2023, with 170 nurses leaving in 2024.

“The recruitment of Indian nurses was initiated as a short interim measure (1 year) to ensure uninterrupted patient care,” Dr. Kuenzang stated, adding that their arrival has been instrumental in bridging the staffing gap at JDWNRH.
All 20 of the newly recruited Indian nurses are deployed at JDWNRH in Thimphu, distributed across departments according to need. Dr. Kuenzang explained that foreign nurses are placed alongside national nurses to enable them to familiarize themselves with and adhere to Bhutan’s National Nursing Standards and practices.

The Ministry detailed that the pay package for foreign nurses ranges between Nu. 65,291 and Nu. 86,105 depending on experience. Nurses with two to five years of experience receive Nu. 65,291, those with six to ten years receive Nu. 72,985, and those with more than ten years earn Nu. 86,105.

“The pay was fixed in alignment with the national nurses’ scale from P4A to P2A, with an additional 30 percent contract allowance and a house rent allowance of Nu. 15,000,” the Ministry clarified. All the recruits possess at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Regarding the source of funding, the salaries of the Indian nurses are fully funded through the Government of India’s PTA grant with no allocation from the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) or any cost-sharing arrangement.
Responding to concerns about differing pay scales, Dr. Kuenzang noted that the difference in pay is minimal and was only introduced to make the positions attractive to foreign candidates.

“Initially, we offered only a 30 percent contract allowance, but we were unable to attract any candidates. The Ministry of Finance later approved an additional monthly house rent allowance of Nu. 15,000 to encourage recruitment,” he said.

Despite this incentive, the Ministry continues to face challenges in attracting sufficient foreign nurses. “Even with the current pay package, we have encountered delays in recruitment as the number of interested candidates remains limited,” he acknowledged.

A comparison of pay structures shows that Bhutanese nurses at the P4A level earn Nu. 57,310 per month, while foreign nurses at the same level earn between Nu. 80,291 and Nu. 86,105, depending on experience. This represents a difference of Nu. 22,981. At the P3A level, the gap is Nu. 23,910, and at the P2A level, it is Nu. 25,105.
Out of 115 Indian nurses approved for recruitment, 25 have already joined, while interviews for 76 more candidates were held in India last week.

“This recruitment is purely a short-term arrangement,” Dr. Kuenzang emphasized. “We are simultaneously focusing on strengthening the domestic nursing workforce through training, retention, and professional development.”
He further highlighted that the Ministry recruited 312 Bhutanese nurses in 2025, including 83 clinical nurses and 229 staff nurses, and continues to encourage the return of overseas-trained health workers.

“We have been hiring all the technical human resources available in the country,” he said.
The Ministry is also increasing student intake at national nursing institutes. The total nursing student enrollment across institutions rose from 230 in 2021 to 650 in 2025, reflecting expanded capacity at the Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, Royal Thimphu College, Apollo Bhutan Institute of Nursing, and Arura Academy of Health Science.

Dr. Kuenzang expressed optimism about the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system. “We are confident that the increasing number of nursing graduates will gradually reduce our dependence on foreign workers,” he said.
“Our goal is to build a self-reliant and resilient health workforce capable of meeting the country’s healthcare needs.”
The Ministry remains committed to strengthening the healthcare system by investing in its national workforce.

While the recruitment of Indian nurses has been necessary to maintain essential services, the priority is the development and retention of Bhutanese nurses to ensure the long-term stability and self-reliance of the health sector. Efforts include continuous professional training, increased local capacity, and strategies to improve retention, reducing dependence on foreign professionals in the future.