Evaluating the effect of village health workers on hospital admission rates and their economic impact in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

VHWs serve as a source of cost-savings for the Kingdom of Bhutan and also act as an economic buffer for more vulnerable communities. The cost-savings associated with these health workers is likely to become more pertinent as the nation begins to develop and healthcare costs increase. It is imperative that proper action be taken to retain these health workers as every VHW who leaves the program increases healthcare costs onto the Bhutanese government.