Staff Shortage Cripples Birthing Center in Siraha's Naraha Rural Municipality

Siraha. The only birthing center in Naraha Rural Municipality, Siraha, is on the verge of collapse due to a severe shortage of manpower. Located in Barchhawa, Ward Number 4, this critical facility is currently being operated by a single Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM).

According to regulations, basic maternity services require at least four staff members, including two staff nurses, one health assistant (HA), and an office assistant. However, Senior ANM Tika Devi Dhungel is forced to shoulder all responsibilities alone.

The lack of adequate staff has created serious issues for nighttime services. Since most maternity cases occur at night, expecting a single employee to provide 24-hour service is both impractical and dangerous.

Despite having excellent infrastructure, the lack of skilled personnel has led to a decline in patient numbers. In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, only 19 women have utilized the maternity services here.

Most of these patients are women from the economically disadvantaged Musahar community who cannot afford to go elsewhere. According to Mahesh Kumar Rajak, head of the Barchhawa Health Post, it is nearly impossible to conduct deliveries alone at night. When ANM Dhungel is on leave, the facility effectively shuts down.

Surprisingly, while the rural municipality cites a shortage of health workers, it has assigned existing skilled personnel to non-technical roles elsewhere. Health worker Arun Kumar Singh has been appointed as the head of the inventory branch, while another health worker, Baijnath Sah, has been assigned the responsibility of Ward Secretary for Ward Number 5. Furthermore, sources claim that three other health workers have been kept idle in the health branch without any specific duties due to political influence.

Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality, Aditya Kumar Karna, acknowledged the problems caused by the staff shortage and offered the usual assurance that personnel would be sent soon. Keeping influential staff in accessible, non-technical branches while leaving sensitive facilities like the birthing center vacant highlights the municipality's irresponsibility toward healthcare services.