Pregnant women in remote Kanchanpur walk two hours to reach birthing center
Kanchanpur: Expectant mothers in Khalla Masetti, Bhimdatta Municipality-9, are compelled to give birth at home due to the absence of accessible maternity services. Although a birthing center exists in Brahmadev, eight kilometers away, locals say the risky dirt road and lack of transportation make it nearly impossible to reach.
Despite government policy mandating regular check-ups and institutional deliveries, the provision remains unimplemented here. Women are often carried on stretchers to reach the health facility, with some forced to give birth along the way. “Sometimes newborns are delivered on the road—what can we do? There is no birthing center in the village,” said local health volunteer Bimala Bam. “We have to walk for two hours to reach the birthing center, and there is no transportation facility.”
The government provides Rs. 700 for antenatal check-ups and Rs. 3,000 for transportation during institutional deliveries under its safe motherhood program. But women in Khalla Masetti remain unable to access these benefits. “The road is rough, and only in winter can an ambulance reach us quickly,” said local resident Rekha Bik. “Even for regular check-ups, we must walk for two hours.”
A village clinic has been established in the settlement with one midwife, one auxiliary health worker (AHW), and one office assistant. However, services have been severely hampered since midwife Mamata Mahata went on maternity leave a year and a half ago and did not return. “Now, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) comes once a month from Brahmadev Health Center to provide vaccines and vitamins,” said clinic worker Narayan Bohara. “But the lack of staff means children miss timely vaccinations and pregnancy tests are delayed.”
Bohara added that the clinic faces extreme challenges. “We sometimes have to carry women five kilometers on a stretcher to deliver their babies. There is not even a drinking water facility—I bring water from my home,” he said. He confirmed that repeated requests have been made to the municipality for additional staff, but no replacement has been appointed. The clinic still receives 25–30 patients daily.
Locals have demanded the immediate establishment of a birthing center within the settlement to guarantee safe deliveries. Despite being part of Kanchanpur, categorized as a "Sugam" (accessible) district, Khalla Masetti remains deprived of basic development facilities. With no paved roads, electricity, or reliable drinking water, residents say their right to health and safe childbirth continues to be denied. Located 20 kilometers north of the district headquarters, the settlement is reachable only via a dangerous unpaved road.