The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that the ongoing revision of Bhutan’s National Health Policy 2011 will extend beyond a conventional policy update to include broader legislative and regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and legal enforceability across the country’s healthcare sector.
However, despite budgetary allocations being made for the initiative, progress on the long-awaited revision was delayed due to leadership transitions within the ministry.
The update was provided in the ministry’s response to recommendations submitted by the National Council (NC) during its 36th session, where the House called for a more comprehensive and legally integrated approach to the policy revision process.
According to the MoH, a budget of Nu 2 million was allocated during the 2025–26 financial year to support the revision of the National Health Policy. However, substantive work could not proceed as initially planned because of changes in leadership within the ministry’s Planning and Policy Division.
“Substantive progress on the revision process could not be pursued as initially planned due to leadership transitions within the Planning and Policy Division,” the ministry stated.
Much of the allocated budget remains unutilized and will now be carried forward into the next financial year to continue the policy revision and legislative alignment process. Consultations and technical work will resume during the upcoming fiscal year through broader stakeholder engagement and inter-agency coordination.
According to the review report, future consultations will focus on aligning the revised policy framework with ongoing legal and regulatory reforms within the health sector, while also ensuring that institutional mandates, governance responsibilities and accountability mechanisms are clearly defined.
The NC had earlier acknowledged the ministry’s efforts to revive the long-delayed policy revision and appreciated the extensive consultations conducted during the earlier phases of the process. However, the Council emphasized that the revision should not remain confined to policy adjustments alone.
Instead, the NC recommended that the review process also examine existing healthcare laws and legislative instruments to establish a stronger and more enforceable institutional framework for the country’s healthcare system.
The Council additionally sought detailed clarification on budget allocations, expenditures and implementation timelines associated with the revision exercise.
The MoH also stated that the revised policy framework would incorporate major governance and institutional reforms being introduced under the 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP).
According to the ministry, the revised policy is expected to provide overarching strategic direction for harmonizing multiple legislative and regulatory instruments currently under implementation or review across the health sector.
These include the Healthcare Services Rules and Regulations of Bhutan 2025, which have already been promulgated, as well as the ongoing revision of the Medicines Act and several related regulatory frameworks initiated in recent years.
“The revised policy will provide overarching policy stewardship and strategic direction for the implementation and harmonization of key legislative and regulatory instruments,” the ministry stated in its response to the NC.
The policy revision process will revisit and revive efforts to finalize the National Health Bill to strengthen the legal and institutional foundations of Bhutan’s healthcare system.
According to the ministry, the proposed legislation is expected to improve policy coherence, enhance regulatory enforceability and strengthen governance accountability across healthcare institutions and service delivery systems.
The National Health Policy 2011 currently serves as the principal policy framework guiding Bhutan’s healthcare system, including public health services, healthcare financing, disease prevention strategies and institutional governance.
However, over the past decade, significant transformations in healthcare delivery, advancements in medical services, emerging public health risks and evolving institutional mandates have intensified calls for a comprehensive review and modernization of the policy framework.
Health sector experts and policymakers have increasingly emphasized the need for stronger legal and regulatory mechanisms to support healthcare quality assurance, service regulation, patient rights protection and institutional accountability.
Against this backdrop, the ministry’s decision to revisit the National Health Bill alongside the policy revision is being viewed as a significant step toward establishing a stronger legal architecture for Bhutan’s healthcare system.
Tashi Namgyal, Thimphu
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