Kailali, February 19

Shree Kumari Chaudhary of Ratnapur, Kailali has to trek for three hours to get vaccination for her son at Hashaliya Health Post. Since the Mohana River, which runs across Kailali district, does not have bridge, locals from Ratnapaur and Mohanpur have to take the arduous three-hour journey to the nearest health facility. “My son can’t get all the vaccinations as there is no health centre at our village”, laments Chaudhary.

Ratnapur and Mohanpur share a border with India and has a population of 150 and 87 families respectively.

Another local, Khadak Chaudhary, says very few people visit the health post because of the distance.“Most of them don’t attend to their health even when they get sick because they have to travel a lot to get treatment,” says Chaudhary.

Lack of a health facility in the village and a bridge over Mohana River puts the villagers in a rough spot. “There is no vaccination center in the ward,” points out health volunteer Shova Chaudhary.

Ritesh Jaishwal, officer in-charge at Hashliya Health Post, admits failure on the government’s part to set up a health facility in Mohana and Ratnapur because of a lack of bridge over the Mohana River.  According to Jaishwal, the VDC has as many as five vaccination centers.

Kailali District Public Health Chief Tanka Prasad Chapagain said that efforts were under way to provide health service in the two villages.

The government has provisioned to cater 11 different types of vaccinations to children below fifteen months compulsorily to reduce the child death rate.  Health workers say the government rule not to appoint rural health workers had hit hard on programme.