Case Study 6 :
Saving Lives in Jumla
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Jumla, a district of Karnali zone is a very remote district
of the mid-western region - and only accessible by aeroplanes.
There are not even any roads which join Jumla with other neighbouring
districts! In such a place, it is very difficult to have quick
access to a well functioning hospital in times of a medical emergency.
This is especially true for emergency obstetric cases when time
is so critical.
Therefore it is of great significance that the first caesarean
section has now been performed in the Jumla district hospital by
a team of well-trained health professionals stationed there.
Kalu Buda from Patmara VDC (which is about 2 ½ hours walk
from Jumla's district headquarter Khalanga) had been suffering
from vaginal bleeding for more than two weeks but hadn't visited
a health institution for a check up, nor had she ever attended
any ANC check ups. It was her third pregnancy and she had no previous
history of complications. She probably would not even have gone
to hospital if her neighbour, a schoolteacher in the VDC, had not
strongly advised to do so.
Kalu Buda arrived at the hospital with her husband at around 2.00
pm on May 18th 2003. The doctor examined her and informed her that
she needed an emergency caesarean section in order to save her
own and her baby's life. She was admitted to the hospital immediately
and Dr. Ramesh Kharel with his team performed the caesarean section
- and in due course a baby girl, weighing 2.9 kg, was delivered.
Dr. Kharel's surgery team included anaesthetic assistant Mr. Prithvi
Nath Yogi; staff nurses Radha Poudel, Rosana Kadel together with
Ganga Mahat and other members of the operation team.
It was very fortunate that a blood bank had recently been established
in Jumla, again a first time event ever in Karnali zone. One pint
of blood had to be given to Kalu Buda during the surgery and she
was kept under observation for 7 days before being discharged.
Both mother and baby are doing well. The hospital support committee
met the total cost for the surgery and Radha Poudel paid the cost
for the blood transfusion.
This marks a real ray of hope to women in this area - lives can
now be saved in Jumla district hospital!
HMG's Ministry of Health, Family Health Division's safe motherhood
programme has been working since 2001 to establish comprehensive
emergency obstetric care (CEOC) in this district, one of 12 districts
to receive intensive support. |
