Bajura, September 27

Aawarma Budha of Sappata VDC, Bajura has given birth to 13 children and she is only 42 years old.

Budha got married when she was 15. She gave birth to nine kids and had four still births. She gave birth to her 13th child at the Primary Health Centre, Kolti, yesterday night. This was the first time she had visited any health facility for parturition service.

According to Dr Wikal Lamichhane, the baby was delivered with the support of three health workers due to various delivery-related complications.

Budha’s husband Payan said his wife had delivered the previous babies at home and in the field.

“Now, we have seven daughters and two sons,” Payan said.

He said they didn’t bother about family planning as they were unaware of it. “We have no idea what family planning means,” Payan said.

Chhama Luwar of Gotri Village Development Committee-8 gave birth to a child at the age of 45 last year.

Married at the age of 14, Luwar has delivered as many as 11 children till date. Only seven of her children are alive.

Likewise, Kushukala Sarki of Jagannath VDC-4 has given birth to as many as 10 babies and she is 41 years old.

Aawarma, Chhamma and Kushukala are only a few cases in point.

Almost all the people in Bajura lack awareness of family planning and end up having many kids.

Health workers say that women should maintain a time gap of at least 18 months between deliveries to ensure good health of both children and mothers.

The government conducts various programmes in family planning every year.

However, a minimum number of people in remote areas and backward communities of the district actually apply family planning, said Man BK of Martadi.