Paropakar Maternity Hospital receiving 'significant' number of pregnant women amid prohibitory order

Kathmandu - Despite transport inconvenience due to a prohibitory order, Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Thapathali has not witnessed decrease in number of women visiting for the maternity service. At least 70 pregnant women of the Kathmandu Valley and outside visit the hospital for childbirth on a daily basis, said the hospital's co-director Sri Prasad Adhikari.

However, the number of pregnant women for regular health checkups is comparatively low, he said, adding that of the pregnant women visiting the hospital for childbirth, 20 to 30 gave birth with caesarean case. Approximately 6,000 pregnant women visited the hospital for regular checkups in the period of one month, which was around 40 percent less as compared to normal days, he said.

In some cases, reluctance of private hospitals to admit pregnant women for childbirth amid the infection and some hospitals being sealed off following detection of infection cases have encouraged pregnant women to visit the hospital for maternity service, he said. "General people have a belief that government hospitals provide service despite adverse situation (if any). This has also played a role in this case," he said. In the last fiscal year, 22,400 pregnant women visited the hospital for maternity service.