Key Takeaways:
- Anita Mahatara, 24, delivered a baby girl en route to a health post
- ANM Gyanudevi Shahi rushed to assist near Adhari Khola; both stable
- Incident follows Sauri Budha's cave delivery days earlier in same municipality
A 24-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on the way to a health facility in remote Bajura district on Monday, marking the second such incident in Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality within days and once again exposing the area's lack of road access and maternal healthcare services.
Anita Mahatara of Joru village in Ward No. 3 went into labour while being carried on a stretcher by local youths to the nearest health facility. She delivered midway after her condition worsened before reaching medical care.
Read: She delivered a baby on a stretcher in the middle of a mountain trail
After being alerted by the family, auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) Gyanudevi Shahi from Jukot Health Post rushed to the scene and safely assisted the delivery near Adhari Khola, providing emergency obstetric care. Both the mother and newborn are in stable condition, according to Shahi.
Ward member Lajmar Mahatara said the baby girl is Anita's second child.
The incident follows a similar case only days earlier, when 24-year-old Sauri Budha of Ward No. 2 gave birth to a baby boy inside a cave while being taken to a health facility.
Read Also: Cave becomes delivery room as remote Bajura woman gives birth en route to health post
Residents say the repeated roadside deliveries highlight the severe lack of transport and healthcare access in the remote municipality. Joru village remains without a motorable road, forcing residents to walk about an hour to reach Adhari Khola before accessing health services.
Locals have urged authorities to improve road connectivity, ambulance services and maternal healthcare facilities, warning that pregnant women in the district continue to face life-threatening risks due to poor infrastructure.
Read More: Bajura Health Post runs in ruins as new centre stands unused