BAJURA, MARCH 6

A female doctor's service is slowly catching on in Jutthi of remote Jagannath Rural Municipality in Bajura. Thanks to the service of Dr Jasmita Balamapaki, many female patients, who had been living with diseases for years, are now coming forward seeking treatment.

Dr Balamapaki had reached remote Jagannath village for her first deployment after passing the Medical Council exam at a time when news reports were being published about the common tendency among doctors stationed in remote villages to play truant.

The rural municipality Employment Coordinator Laxman Joshi said the female doctor's service in the remote village had encouraged women, who had been hiding their diseases for years, to open up and seek treatment.

'Now that we have a female doctor in service, many women, who were too shy to come forward and seek treatment, are now encouraged to open up. Besides, there were a number of people who couldn't go outside the district for treatment due to lack of fund, now they are also getting treatment with ease,' Joshi said.

Dumura Bista, a local, said she was happy to get treatment in her own village.

According to the doctor, she has been treating over 40 patients every day. 'Most of the women, who come to me for treatment, are those with complaints related to abdomen pain, asthma, allergy, skin and uterus,' she said.

'What I've observed is most of the women coming to me for treatment are reluctant to reveal their problem initially, but they open up and start sharing their problems as I counsel them,' the doctor shared her experience.

Talking about her choice to serve in the remote village, Dr Jasmita said she chose to serve in one of the remote corners of Bajura as per her longstanding desire to provide service to people who are in the greatest need. She has been serving there for about five months now.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 07, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.