Key Takeaways:

• Kamala Bogati, 26, gave birth to a baby boy by the roadside in Budhiganga-6
• She had travelled seven hours from her maternal home due to belief that women should not deliver there
• Health workers rushed to assist, managing placenta and saving mother and child
• The newborn initially showed distress but recovered after five minutes
• Similar roadside births reported in July and August in Bajura
• Two to three women give birth en route to health facilities each month, according to health workers
• Terrain, poor roads, monsoon disruptions and weak health infrastructure compound risks
• At Simkot Health Centre, services still run from a single deteriorating room despite a new building nearby

BAJURA, SEPTEMBER 9 When labour pains began, 26-year-old Kamala Bogati did not head to a health facility. Instead, she began the long journey from her maternal home towards her own house. By the time she reached a roadside area above Falasain Bazaar in Budhiganga Municipality-6 on Tuesday afternoon, she was in advanced labour. She could go no farther. Bogati, from Khaptad Chhededaha-4, gave birth to a baby boy at around 3 pm, with health workers rushing to the scene after being alerted by local residents. Health workers said the roadside birth was not simply due to Bajura's terrain or lack of transport. A traditional belief that married women should not give birth at their maternal home, fearing it would anger the gods, had kept Bogati from seeking care there. She had gone to her maternal home in Kordha, Badimalika-6, on August 26 for Krishna Janmashtami. Labour pains began Monday night, but instead of visiting nearby health posts, she set out alone Tuesday morning. Local residents found her struggling and alerted health workers. Senior Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) Ishwori KC, health worker Hast Khadayat and nurse Nisha Rokaya reached the site. Rokaya, returning from leave, said: 'When I reached there, she was in severe labour pain.' With her assistance, Bogati delivered the baby. The newborn initially appeared in distress but cried after five minutes. Health workers managed the placenta at the roadside before taking mother and child to Bajura Health Post, where both were reported stable. Bogati had travelled about seven hours from her maternal home, bypassing health facilities at Jadanga (one hour away) and Bajura District Hospital (two hours away). Local resident Ramesh Rawat said Bogati suffered heavy bleeding after delivery, but the timely arrival of health workers saved both lives. Recurring roadside births Bogati's case is not isolated. On Aug 4, Anita Mahatara, 24, delivered a baby girl while being carried on a stretcher in Swamikartik Khapar-3. Days earlier, Sauri Budha, 24, gave birth inside a roadside cave in Swamikartik Khapar-2. On July 27, Kamala Budha, 20, delivered on a stretcher along a mountain trail in Gaumul-5. Health workers estimate two to three women give birth en route to health facilities each month in Bajura, citing difficult terrain, poor road connectivity, monsoon disruptions and weak health infrastructure. For women like Bogati, the journey to safe motherhood involves more than distance, it means negotiating dangerous trails, inadequate health infrastructure and social beliefs that can turn medical emergencies into perilous journeys home.