BAJURA, DECEMBER 6
Pansara Rokaya (31) of Kuru in Budinanda Municipality-4 of Bajura on Tuesday gave birth to a child on the road for the third time in years.
The first two children, one son and a daughter, were also born on the road or in the forest while traveling to work.
This time she was on the way to the Kuru Primary Health Centre, informed Dharma Chadara, chief of the center, who was also on her way to the centre, found Rokaya along the road giving birth to the daughter and assisted her in her delivery.
Pansara, who was alone during the time, had excessive bleeding and was rescued by Dharma and brought to the center.
In Bajura, not only Pansara, but many mothers give birth on the road.
Just a few months ago, Ujjwali Sunar(32) of Kanda, gave birth to a daughter on the road. Bhagya Chadara (21) of Majhi pal of Gaumul Rural Municipality-3 of Bajura, also gave birth to a child on the road. Similarly, Nani Rokaya, residing in Bamu of Himali Rural Municipality-1, gave birth to a child on the road while being rushed to the Bamu Primary Health Centre some three hours away. Likewise, Kartika BK, 35, of Muktikot in Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality-1 gave birth on the road.
These are just a few examples of mothers in remote villages of Bajura giving birth on the road and at home.
There is a large number of women in the remote villages of Bajura who are forced to give birth away from the health facility, Bimala Pandey, at the Rugina Health Post said.
These instances of giving childbirth on the road are the result of a lack of easy access to health facilities, as well as not conducting regular prenatal check-ups and not bringing pregnant women to health facilities timely, Tek Bahadur Khadka, the chief of the health branch of Badimalika Municipality said. Even if there are no statistics in Bajura, one to two women give birth on the road every month, Khadka added.
In Bajura, there have been 12 deaths due to childbirth in the last four years.
Although the government has implemented the helicopter rescue program, the death of new mothers has not stopped. Severe problems such as hard work during pregnancy, frequent childbirth, giving birth at a young age, and not reaching health services have put the lives of mothers at great risk.
(Translated and Edited by Sandeep Sen)
