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Bhutan top honour for former Punjab cadre IAS officer Dr Khetrapal
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk honoured Dr Khetrapal, an Indian national, at Bhutan’s 116th National Day celebration in Thimpu
Retired Punjab cadre IAS officer of 1975 batch and WHO South-East Asia regional director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been awarded Bhutan’s prestigious National Order of Merit Gold Medal for her distinguished services to the country.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk honoured Dr Khetrapal, an Indian national, at Bhutan’s 116th National Day celebration here.
“Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the first woman regional director of WHO South-East Asia Region, played a pivotal role in supporting transformative healthcare leadership in Bhutan from 2014 to 2024. Her tenure witnessed remarkable strides, including Bhutan becoming one of the first countries to eliminate measles and rubella ahead of schedule. She made significant contributions to help Bhutan excel in Covid-19 vaccination,” the King said.
“Dr Khetrapal Singh’s impactful strategies extended across communicable diseases, reproductive health, health systems, and social determinants, and had a lasting positive impact on Bhutan’s public health services,” he said.
In a video message post the award ceremony, Dr Khetrapal Singh thanked Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk for the award. She said, “As the regional director for WHO South-East Asia for the last decade, it has been my vision to address priority health issues through eight flagship programmes, and promote health and wellbeing for everyone, everywhere.”
The regional director said Bhutan’s efforts and achievements in the last decade have been exceptional — eliminating polio, maternal and neonatal tetanus, eliminating measles and rubella, taking the lead in WHO South-East Asia Region for addressing mental health and making efforts to eliminate cervical cancer by expanding HPV vaccination and screening. The country is making exceptional efforts to address other non-communicable diseases.
“With the ongoing focused interventions, I am confident of and also wish Bhutan many more laurels in public health in the coming years,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first Indian to be elected as the regional director of WHO South-East Asia.
