Khotang, May 21

Khotang District Hospital today organised an awareness programme with a view to reducing maternal mortality rate resulting from unsafe abortions.

The district hospital launched the awareness programme after health workers started conducting unsafe abortions at unregistered health facilities in the district, leading to the death of pregnant women. The  safe abortion programme was held in the presence of health workers, women and health volunteers.

Nabin Devkota, a medical superintendent  at the hospital said it had organised the awareness programme as seven per cent women in the district died due to unsafe abortions this fiscal. Those attending the programme said some pregnant women were getting abortion done at unregistered health facilities even though the state had been providing an option for safe abortion at  primary health centres, health posts and district hospitals.

Srijana Poudel, a staff nurse at the hospital, said 216 women had undergone abortion at the district hospital, 12 in Chisapani Primary Health Centre, 68 in Durchhim Health Post, 31 in Saune Health Post, 15 in Bakshila Health Post and nine in Bakkadiyale Health Post of the district in fiscal 2017-18. She added that no woman had sought an abortion from Primary Health Centre Aiselukharka, Lamidanda Health Post and Okhredanda Health Post in the current fiscal.

Narayan Baral at the district hospital said women were likely to suffer from excessive bleeding, infection in uterus, infertility and other complications if they underwent abortion at unsafe and unregistered health facilities.