Bhutan's King treks mountains and jungles to spread awareness about COVID-19
Bhutan King
To make sure each and every remote area of the country also get proper healthcare and access to coronavirus vaccines, Bhutan’s King has been trekking jungles to make people aware againstthe deadly virus.
Dressed in a traditional Gho robe and a baseball cap with a backpack for his essentials, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has been travelling by foot, horse and car to remote areas of the country to check the healthcare camps around his kingdom.
A country of 700,000 people, Bhutan has been observing a rise in coronavirus cases in the recent past and the 41-year-old king has taken it upon himself to make sure that people take all kinds of protective measures.
"When the king travels for miles and knocks ... to alert people about the pandemic, then his humble words are respected and taken very seriously," said Lotay Tshering, the country's prime minister. "His Majesty's presence is far more powerful than just issuing public guidelines."
The King is not just investigating the progress of healthcare facilities, he is also taking this trek to thank all frontline workers, especially in remote areas, who have been working tirelessly to help covid patients in the last 1.5 years.
He has walkedfor five days on a trail passing through elevations of up to 4,343 m (14,250 ft) and after every trip, he checks into a hotel in capital Thimphu to follow quarantine protocols.
The King has also, like the majority of the officials, received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. "(The king) has been to all high-risk border areas time and again to monitor every measure put in place and to ensure best practices are followed within limited resources," said Rui Paulo de Jesus, the World Health Organization representative in Bhutan.
Meanwhile, Bhutan is considering a mix-and-match vaccine programme after administering at least one dose to 90 per cent of the eligible population with an AstraZeneca shot.
(With inputs from agencies)