Safe motherhood programme affected due to lockdown

Kathmandu - The safe motherhood programme has been affected due to the lockdown announced by the government for preventing spread of coronavirus pandemic. The child birth and maternity services that used to be provided at the birthing centres in the district has been greatly reduced these days after the enforcement of the stay-at-home orders.

As per data provided by District Public Health Office Rolpa, the number of pregnant women visiting the birthing centres has drastically reduced in the last two months since the lockdown compared to the previous months. Four hundred and sixty four women had taken the service in the month of Saun whereas 229 women benefited from the service in Chait, the first month of the lockdown. The number of women visiting the birthing centres for delivery has further decreased in the month of Baisakh.

Although not all the local levels in the district have submitted their reports to the Office, the reports submitted by the five local levels so far show that the number of women visiting the birth centres has reduced. One hundred and forty women had visited the birthing centres in these five local levels in the month of Fagun, a month before the lockdown was announced and this number fell to 120 a month later. This number has drastically fallen in Baisakh, the second month into the lockdown. Only 59 women visited the birthing centres in the five local levels in Baisakh. There are 63 birthing centres in Rolpa district. It is said only 50 per cent of expecting mothers visited the birthing centres for delivery.