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December, 2022

The Story Behind the World’s Fastest Vaccine Roll Out

On July 20th, Bhutan began the roll out of the world’s fastest inoculation program, reaching 90% of its eligible adult population with a second dose within one week. While there is no doubt Bhutan’s small population made things easier, it still managed to vaccinate numerous remote and geographically isolated communities that make up this mountainous kingdom, within that one week. To do so, vaccination teams consisting of a doctor, a nurse, two health assistants and several volunteers, carried vaccines, oxygen cylinders, regulators, medical equipment and emergency health kits for days on foot, often walking up to 12 hours a day. Where snowfall or monsoonal rains prevented the teams from accessing remote areas, Bhutan despatched the teams via helicopter, ensuring each and every citizen was reached. It was well co-ordinated, it was comprehensive but it was also compassionate.

Bhutan has undeniably benefited during this time from a deeply compassionate leadership of the type not often seen in the world today. With great empathy, His Majesty the King has spent the last year reaching out to the most vulnerable, the most in need and the most at risk. He has walked to remote villages to ensure health precautions were in place, spent months in towns bordering India with the highest number of cases, visited patients in hospital and spent time with volunteers and medical staff to boost morale and thank them for their sacrifice. He has shown the kind of enlightened leadership the world is so in need of and has united the country in the process – with millions of Bhutanese turning out voluntarily for vaccination when called on to do so. As His Majesty noted in an address to the nation,

“…we must strive for a caring leadership so that as the world and country changes, as our nation’s goals change, our foremost priority will always remain the happiness and well- being of our people—including the generations to come after us.

Covid 19
Gangtey Valley
Covid 19

His Majesty also established a corps of 30,000 citizen volunteers, known as ‘Desuups’ or the ‘guardians of peace’, boosting the efforts of the 350 doctors and 3000 health professionals in the country. They have helped amplify public health messaging and assisted with wide-spread public testing, surveillance and contact tracing. Bhutan has also benefited from the experience of its elected leaders, with quite remarkably, a trained epidemiologist (and graduate of Yale) as Health Minister and a Prime Minister and Foreign Minister who are qualified doctors.

Bhutan is now focused on vaccinating children between the ages of 12-17, with more than 30,000 children having already received their first dose. All of this bodes well for Bhutan when the time comes to embrace the joys of travel again. This tiny country has proven itself capable of managing a crisis efficiently and effectively and when a weary and worn out world starts traveling again Bhutan will be ready to welcome it with kindness, care and compassion.

Gangtey Lodge Team Updates: Sonam Tshering, Sangay Tshering & Wangchuk Dorji

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhutan’s borders have had to remain closed for quite some time now, meaning that we haven’t been able to welcome any of you to experience our great nation. During these hard times, while we have been able to keep our whole team employed on rotation, there has been a lot of free time away from the lodge for our team to utilise. We asked some of our team members to share what they have been doing during this time.

Supporting the Conservation of Black-Necked Cranes

If Bhutan wears the crown for caring for the environment, then Phobjikha Valley is the jewel in that crown. Phobjikha Valley is one of the largest, high-altitude wetlands in Bhutan, situated on the western slopes of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park.

Gangtey Lodge Team Updates: Kinley Wangchuk & Kinley Dorji

‘What are the Gangtey Lodge Team doing whilst Bhutan’s borders and Lodge are closed?’ is a question we often get asked.

We are happy to have kept all our team employed on rotation, whilst they pursue other projects in their free time.  Here we interview Kinley Wangchuk (Food and Beverages Attendant)  and Kinley Dorji (Spa Manager), about their work as Desuups – the Kingdom’s ‘Guardians of Peace’.

The Beauty of Summer in Gangtey Valley

During the summer months of June, July and August the moody monsoon rains roll in from India and the valleys of Bhutan are blessed with abundant rain.

Gangtey Lodge Team Updates: Sonam Dorji

Since we haven’t been able to welcome any guests to our lodge lately, we thought we would share with you all what our team has been up to while awaiting Bhutan’s borders to reopen. Below is an interview with our operations manager, Sonam Dorji, on his recent work with the Gangtey Lodge green team.

The World’s Last Remaining Vajrayana Buddhist Kingdom

Bhutan is the world’s last remaining Vajrayana Buddhist Kingdom, and this ancient spiritual tradition is, to this day, embedded in the very consciousness and culture of the people.