Annual Report story from the field

By Rabin Joshi & Naresh Newar

Creating quality maternity care is not just about constructing a new birthing center and providing quality equipment. It is also about promoting ownership among local stakeholders to create a sustainable MNH system that can help nurses to save lives.

Sipali Chilaune Health Post (HP) is located in the District of Kavrepalanchok, only 35 miles from Kathmandu but a journey not for the faint-hearted. The roads leading to the health post are dangerous even for off-road vehicles, and the monsoon rains render them all but impassable for half the year. 

Before the start of the One Heart Worldwide project at the Sipali Chilaune HP, Menuka, a local nurse, said every birth she attended was challenging for her. Working in a poorly equipped environment, Menuka tried her best to provide good care, but, despite her many years of experience and success at saving mothers and babies lives, she always felt a lot of stress. 

“Now things have changed since One Heart Worldwide helped build a new birthing center at our health post. It’s been totally transformed into a high-quality birthing center. I can’t remember how many deliveries I have done in the past many years, but this time, I was so happy because I did not have to feel nervous at all. It is because we now have this amazing birthing center,” says Menuka. 

There has been a big transformation with tiled floors, bright and spacious rooms, better equipment, proper maternity beds, and good workspaces for the nurses. In the local community, pregnant women feel especially thankful and relieved since they now have a safe place to deliver their babies. 

“Today, a lot has changed. Roshi Rural Municipality has the best birthing center in this district. This is also the result of a growing sense of ownership among local stakeholders, especially the local government. The level of coordination is strong and the rural municipality feels very positive about the partnership with OHW,” said OHW’s Senior District Coordinator Rabin Joshi. 

For Menuka, that change was evident, especially when her first new birth arrived just a week after the new birthing center was launched. She received a call from the family of a pregnant woman who was due to give birth. It was midnight, and the family was traveling from a remote village. When their patient arrived, Menuka and her team had their equipment ready. There was a complication during the delivery for both the mother and her baby, but Menuka and her team were able to handle the emergency calmly and professionally because they had all the equipment and supplies they needed. They managed to stabilize the situation and save the lives of both mother and child. 

“If this situation had occurred in the old birthing center, we would be panicking and overwhelmed, unable to take quick action. This time, we were not stressed out at all and were able to do our job because we now have everything here to be fully prepared for these kinds of emergencies,” shared Menuka.

Local stakeholders are elated to witness the change that their partnership with OHW is creating. “I have never seen a birthing center managed so well in such a remote area. We are all so thankful for OHW’s help,” said Sita G., Public Health Nurse of Kavrepalanchok District Health Office.