Dadeldhura, December 11:

With the effective implementation of the government decision of providing transportation fares to those who seek medical help during childbirth, the number of pregnant women seeking medical assistance has increased. A few years ago, only seven delivery cases used to be reported a year in the Dadeldhura District Hospital (DDH).

The DDH said it has been seeing two to three cases a day since last year, thanks to the implementation of the decision.

The government provides Rs 1500, Rs 1000 and Rs 500 as transportation fares to those seeking the medical help in mountain, hilly and Terai regions. Rs 300 is also given to each health attendant for providing the services. According to national data, 21 per cent of pregnant women seek medical assistance during childbirth. However, the incentives are given only to women giving birth for the delivery of the first or the second baby.

Hari Devi Ayer, a 20-year-old of Gankhet VDC, Dadeldhura, who is seven months pregnant, said she will seek skilled birth attendant’s help during childbirth this time.

She delivered her first baby two years ago at home. She said she suffered a lot due to excessive bleeding. Ayer came to know about the incentives from a neighbour. “The increasing maternal mortality and morbidity is due to unsafe deliveries at home, hard work during and after pregnancies and lack of proportionate diet to the expecting mothers,” said Dr Gopal Gnawali, medical officer at the DDH.

The district is in need of two more doctors, seven health assistants, nine assistant health workers and seven nursing staffers. The Dadeldhura district has one municipality and 20 village development committees. The district has one district hospital, nine health posts, 15 sub-health posts, one primary health care centre and one TEAM hospital.

For sustainability of the programme, women development committee with support from the UNFPA, has established an Emergency Obstetric Care Fund in the district. The committee provides Rs 1,000 as loan with one per cent interest, for transportation and other medical treatment to the needy.

Shiv Dutta Bhatta, Dadeldhura District Health Officer, said, “Most of parents, who already have four or five children, avail themselves of cash incentives, saying the newborn is their first or second baby.” Maternal mortality rate in Nepal is 539 per 100,000 live births, the second highest in South East Asia, the Demographic Health Survey 2001 said.