At the Nation’s call
213 civil servants from Thimphu are currently working in 77 gewogs of 9 Dzongkhags,
assisting in all services related to COVID-19
Chorten Namgay, Deputy Program Officer from the Department of Law and Order is neither in his office within the historic Tashichhodzong or working virtually from home, these days. He is currently in his temporary station at Norbugang gewog, Nganglam in Pemagatshel serving the country in a different way. For almost three weeks, he has been involved in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. Similarly, Rinchen Choden, Assistant Program Officer who recently joined the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) is at Mendrelgang gewog, Tsirang, delivering essential items, assisting in tests and all Covid related duties required.
Chorten and Rinchen are two from the 213 civil servants deployed from Thimphu to 77 gewogs in nine dzongkhags, to reinforce the COVID management team at the gewog level, support the gewog and Dzongkhag Administration to safeguard people from the pandemic, to minimize suffering of the people by providing livelihood and welfare support and restore normalcy. In the words of an official from the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), “these are people who have risen to the call of the nation”.
The official also added that civil servants took the opportunity as a call of duty and they were forthcoming and eager to serve in their respective gewogs in this hour of need. He added that this is also an opportunity for civil servants to see and get first hand experience of ground realities of villages.
Comprising of a mixture of civil servants from the mid to senior levels, who are able to work in emergencies, they were briefed by the Prime Minister before departure. “They were further briefed by the National Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for COVID-19 on the safety protocols. They report to the Dzongkhag Task Force and work in close coordination with the local functionaries,” the official said.
On the duration of their stay in the respective gewogs, the official said it will depend on the situation and it would be “as long as it is deemed necessary”. “Teams deputed strengthened the presence of Regional/Dzongkhag COVID Task Force, filled the gaps for Gups (as the newly elected gups could not join office in the initial days), facilitated delivery of essential goods and services, standard passengers movement, facilitated farmers to get agriculture inputs like fertilizers and animal feed and marketing of farm products,” he said. The officials are also involved in escorting and providing transport for emergency travelers, advocating on COVID protocols and have also cleared roads blocked during the recent snowfalls. “They are identifying people needing kidu, coordinating death rituals, supporting health emergency and domestic violence victims, assisting in setting isolation and quarantine facilities and all other COVID related work,” he said, adding some teams even donated food items to needy families.
The RCSC has ensured that the absence of this group does not hamper service delivery. “Their responsibilities are shared by other colleagues and they also work remotely where necessary,” the RCSC official said. Apart from this group, many civil servants in the Dzongkhags are engaged in managing the pandemic as front liners in different capacities.
Meanwhile, Chorten Namgay, a desuup from the 45th group said it is the first responsibility he has taken up as a desuup in the field. “I was feeling guilty not being able to do anything adorning the orange. The call from the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) was a blessing for me and I am delighted,” he said.
Along with other civil servants, Chorten left Thimphu on February 8, 2022 and is at Norbugang gewog with two other civil servants. When asked about facilities like proper rooms, he said it is not a concern and one that shouldn’t be thought about. “When His Majesty our King can sleep in huts and out in the open, who are we? Fortunately, we got a room, but even if we hadn’t we would have pitched a tent and stayed,” he said.
Chorten and his colleagues are involved in collecting household information, especially on the elderly and those with co-morbidities. Apart from that they deliver kidu rations and others to the people. “Basically we do everything required and are on call 24x7,” he said.
At Mendregang gewog in Tsirang, Rinchen Choden is with two friends, Leki Tshering, Senior Audit Officer from the Royal Audit Authority (RAA) and Tshering Yangki, Legal Assistant, Construction Development Board (CDB). “The moment we arrived, the first and the most urgent task we had to carry out was delivering essential items because by the time we reached here, people had been under lockdown for few days and were running out of essentials,” Rinchen said, adding that they asked local government (LG) officials to share their phone numbers to all chiwogs of the gewog, so that people could call them. “After that, we have hardly had time to rest. Since shops were closed, we had to take orders from every individual, go to Damphu (town) and return with essential. A day later, the Dzongkhag Task Force let two shop in each gewog open,” she said. However, Rinchen and her friends take goods from the two shops and reach it to the door steps of people. They also deliver medicines to patients and the old.
As Mendrelgang gewog has several poultry and piggeries, the three in Mendrelgang also facilitate feeds for the farms. And their duty goes on; from delivering LPG, facilitating cash for the people and helping stranded people.
Rinchen shared that the most hectic job for them was facilitating stranded people. “There was no quarantine facility and people would call every day to ask for possibilities to move out of their station. After the Dzongkhag Task Force allowed movement out of our gewog, the next task was processing e-pass which wasn’t compatible with most people. By the end of relaxation, probably about 100 individuals have been successfully sent back to their destinations,” she said. Additionally, the group assisted in sending two trips of around 5 truck loads of vegetables and diary products to Thimphu.
The three thank gewog officials, health team and the Dzongkhag Task Force. “All are giving in their best and it is inspiring to see people do this. We wouldn’t be able to do anything on our own, without help that we receive,” Leki said.
213 civil servants from Thimphu are currently working in 77 gewogs of 9 Dzongkhags,
assisting in all services related to COVID-19
Chorten Namgay, Deputy Program Officer from the Department of Law and Order is neither in his office within the historic Tashichhodzong or working virtually from home, these days. He is currently in his temporary station at Norbugang gewog, Nganglam in Pemagatshel serving the country in a different way. For almost three weeks, he has been involved in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. Similarly, Rinchen Choden, Assistant Program Officer who recently joined the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) is at Mendrelgang gewog, Tsirang, delivering essential items, assisting in tests and all Covid related duties required.
Chorten and Rinchen are two from the 213 civil servants deployed from Thimphu to 77 gewogs in nine dzongkhags, to reinforce the COVID management team at the gewog level, support the gewog and Dzongkhag Administration to safeguard people from the pandemic, to minimize suffering of the people by providing livelihood and welfare support and restore normalcy. In the words of an official from the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), “these are people who have risen to the call of the nation”.
The official also added that civil servants took the opportunity as a call of duty and they were forthcoming and eager to serve in their respective gewogs in this hour of need. He added that this is also an opportunity for civil servants to see and get first hand experience of ground realities of villages.
Comprising of a mixture of civil servants from the mid to senior levels, who are able to work in emergencies, they were briefed by the Prime Minister before departure. “They were further briefed by the National Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for COVID-19 on the safety protocols. They report to the Dzongkhag Task Force and work in close coordination with the local functionaries,” the official said.
On the duration of their stay in the respective gewogs, the official said it will depend on the situation and it would be “as long as it is deemed necessary”. “Teams deputed strengthened the presence of Regional/Dzongkhag COVID Task Force, filled the gaps for Gups (as the newly elected gups could not join office in the initial days), facilitated delivery of essential goods and services, standard passengers movement, facilitated farmers to get agriculture inputs like fertilizers and animal feed and marketing of farm products,” he said. The officials are also involved in escorting and providing transport for emergency travelers, advocating on COVID protocols and have also cleared roads blocked during the recent snowfalls. “They are identifying people needing kidu, coordinating death rituals, supporting health emergency and domestic violence victims, assisting in setting isolation and quarantine facilities and all other COVID related work,” he said, adding some teams even donated food items to needy families.
The RCSC has ensured that the absence of this group does not hamper service delivery. “Their responsibilities are shared by other colleagues and they also work remotely where necessary,” the RCSC official said. Apart from this group, many civil servants in the Dzongkhags are engaged in managing the pandemic as front liners in different capacities.
Meanwhile, Chorten Namgay, a desuup from the 45th group said it is the first responsibility he has taken up as a desuup in the field. “I was feeling guilty not being able to do anything adorning the orange. The call from the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) was a blessing for me and I am delighted,” he said.
Along with other civil servants, Chorten left Thimphu on February 8, 2022 and is at Norbugang gewog with two other civil servants. When asked about facilities like proper rooms, he said it is not a concern and one that shouldn’t be thought about. “When His Majesty our King can sleep in huts and out in the open, who are we? Fortunately, we got a room, but even if we hadn’t we would have pitched a tent and stayed,” he said.
Chorten and his colleagues are involved in collecting household information, especially on the elderly and those with co-morbidities. Apart from that they deliver kidu rations and others to the people. “Basically we do everything required and are on call 24x7,” he said.
At Mendregang gewog in Tsirang, Rinchen Choden is with two friends, Leki Tshering, Senior Audit Officer from the Royal Audit Authority (RAA) and Tshering Yangki, Legal Assistant, Construction Development Board (CDB). “The moment we arrived, the first and the most urgent task we had to carry out was delivering essential items because by the time we reached here, people had been under lockdown for few days and were running out of essentials,” Rinchen said, adding that they asked local government (LG) officials to share their phone numbers to all chiwogs of the gewog, so that people could call them. “After that, we have hardly had time to rest. Since shops were closed, we had to take orders from every individual, go to Damphu (town) and return with essential. A day later, the Dzongkhag Task Force let two shop in each gewog open,” she said. However, Rinchen and her friends take goods from the two shops and reach it to the door steps of people. They also deliver medicines to patients and the old.
As Mendrelgang gewog has several poultry and piggeries, the three in Mendrelgang also facilitate feeds for the farms. And their duty goes on; from delivering LPG, facilitating cash for the people and helping stranded people.
Rinchen shared that the most hectic job for them was facilitating stranded people. “There was no quarantine facility and people would call every day to ask for possibilities to move out of their station. After the Dzongkhag Task Force allowed movement out of our gewog, the next task was processing e-pass which wasn’t compatible with most people. By the end of relaxation, probably about 100 individuals have been successfully sent back to their destinations,” she said. Additionally, the group assisted in sending two trips of around 5 truck loads of vegetables and diary products to Thimphu.
The three thank gewog officials, health team and the Dzongkhag Task Force. “All are giving in their best and it is inspiring to see people do this. We wouldn’t be able to do anything on our own, without help that we receive,” Leki said.
