Pregnant women bearing brunt of inaccessible health facility

People of Gurdum village in Dhading district have been deprived of medical treatment for want of health facility. As a result, pregnant women have been hit hard in particular.

The village is inaccessible by a road network while the nearby health facility is at Naubise, around three-hour walk uphill from the village.

"It is huge success for us to save mothers and newborns at home. There are not skilled birth attendants in the village. No one knows about a birthing centre," said a local Bir Bahadur Tamang.

A doctor has given a due date for his pregnant spouse, Sabina Tamang for coming September 5. But he is worried about the delivery as there is not a health institution nearby. "I have kept all nutritious food for my pregnant wife as prescribed by health workers. I have also managed money. But I am worried if I can take her to the hospital on time."

"Most of the women in the village gave births at home without a health post in their access, he said. People of Toplang, Durgum, Likhu, Majuwa, Dhuseni and Thali of Dhunibensi Municipality-7 are facing the same problem- a health post in remote area. Ambulance can reach only up to Dobhan. It takes around four hours walk to reach Dobhan from the village," he explained.

Taking ill people or pregnant women to the hospital on stretchers or through other means as the road is in sorry state and too sloppy, he said. "We have to grab shrubs on the roadside to secure our move while walking on the steep road. We fear falling off while walking."

The problem couples during monsoon when the road turns muddy, said local people.

Generally, the locals tend to take pregnant women to hospital only when the labour pain lasts longer, said Bishnu Kumari Dhalan of Phurlung Danda. "When a delivery takes place at home, there are not skilled birth attendants to cut the umbilical cord."

The problem is so intense that some pregnant women reach and stay in rented rooms nearby the hospital at least one month before their due date, said a female community health volunteer Kabita Lama.

Dhunibensi Municipality has operated a free ambulance to carry pregnant and women at postnatal stage within the municipality, said the municipality.

"We have distributed stretchers at ward no 7 where there are also three female community health volunteers. But as Gurdum village is a remote area, it takes hours to reach other nearby settlement. Geographical difficulties have caused sheer problem," said Ward Chair Yadu Nath Pathak.

He however said they were effortful to provide service to pregnant women in the village.

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