Birthing at home is still being practiced by some families in the remote villages of Dagana and Tsirang districts.
They have nothing against giving birth in hospitals. It is the lack of transportation and long distance to the nearest Basic Health Unit that leaves them no choice but to give birth at home.
Four days earlier, Mon Bahadur Gurung, from Tsirang was a nervous wreck. His nine-months-pregnant wife was bleeding excessively. He, along with his friends, carried her to Damphu hospital where she received timely treatment.
Doctors say both the mother and child could have died had they delayed her admission to hospital.
Unhygienic birthing practice, according to the doctors, can pose risks to both the mother and baby. A newborn can be infected with tetanus due to unhygienic birthing practices, such as cutting the umbilical cord with unsterile instruments or treating it with contaminated dressings.
“The risk to the mother will be due to bleeding, bleeding of course due to tear in womb because of retained placenta,” said Dr. Tejnath of Damphu hospital. A retained placenta is a condition where all or part of the placenta or membranes are left behind in the uterus during the third stage of labour.
Low literacy and lack of emergency obstetric care for the people in remote areas add to maternal deaths
This year, Damphu Hospital registered seven such cases from remote villages in Dagana and Tsirang districts.
