CORE MANDATES

The clinical services across the country will be managed by the National Medical Services (NMS). The NMS shall have the following mandate:  

  1. The National Medical Services (NMS) shall steward the clinical services in the country, providing both governance and technical oversight and backstopping to the functioning of all health facilities and specialized clinical centers in the country. NMS shall be responsible for clinical service delivery in all health facilities across the country in both allopathic medicine and Bhutanese traditional medicine. 
  2. Adopting a singular and integrated clinical governance system, the NMS will develop a framework, structure and modality on the functioning of each clinical service (currently referred to as clinical department) to technically lead and backstop, within their respective specialty, health facilities and specialist clinical centers in the country. 
  3. The NMS shall design and establish a robust clinical referral mechanism, adopting appropriate gate-keeping measures and clinical rationale, to steer both the in-country and ex-country referral processes.
  4. The existing roles of JDWNRH shall be reexamined to bifurcate the existing functions of the national referral hospital, as a referral point for western region and the hospital for Thimphu. JDWNRH shall continue to assume the role of the national referral hospital and the nodal point for patient referral both within and outside the country.
  5. The NMS shall lead the HR management, development, career progression and mentorship for all health workforce in the country, including liaising with public and private academic institutions. It will lead and oversee workforce (clinical services) planning, recruitment/mobilization, deployment, transfer and attrition for all hospitals in the country. 
  6. The NMS shall be responsible for maintenance, minor upgrades and other infrastructure management services for all health facilities across the country.
  7. The NMS shall propose its annual budget to the Ministry of Finance and shall have complete autonomy on the management and utilization of the budget adopting innovative public financial management rules and strategic purchasing approaches. It will, similarly, explore supplementary revenue generation sources and propose mechanisms to invest revenue for NMS developmental activities.
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