Kalikot, Dec 11: Mumra village in Kalikot lies in a remote region far from the federal capital, Kathmandu.
Although infrastructure development is progressing gradually, the area has now become relatively accessible in terms of safe motherhood services.
In earlier years, women in the village faced significant challenges in accessing maternal healthcare. However, Mumra, located in Sanni Tribeni Rural Municipality–8, now reports full access to institutional maternity services. The village has recorded no maternal or neonatal deaths in the past five years—a remarkable improvement compared to previous conditions. Moreover, no air rescue has been required for pregnant women over the past two years.
The village is linked by a gravel road from Sannighat, which can be travelled in two to three hours by motorable vehicles during the dry season. During the monsoon, however, the same journey becomes impractical within that timeframe.
The local government’s initiatives to expand access to safe motherhood services are considered exemplary, with their practices offering a potential model for federal and provincial policymakers.
Sanni Tribeni Rural Municipality was ranked first among local governments in Kalikot under the federal government’s Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) index. Rural Municipality Chair Mohan Bahadur KC said, “For the past five years, no pregnant woman or newborn has died.”
The village has mobilised health professionals and female community health volunteers to deliver safe motherhood services directly to households. The rural municipality hosts five birthing centers, all of which are accessible on foot within an hour.
A local resident shared, “My children were born in the forest. I used to carry loads of grass along with my babies. Those days are gone now. Back then, going to doctors or hospitals was not a common practice.”
Rachana Kumari Budha, 32, who recently delivered her third child, said all her babies were born at the Mumra Health Post. “When labour pains begin, we have to be carried to the health post on a stretcher. The nurses and female health workers speak kindly and treat us well,” she said.
According to the health post in-charge, Dhirendra KC, 11 women have given birth at the facility in the first four months of the current fiscal year, including one 18-year-old mother. Last fiscal year, 44 women delivered their babies at the same health post.
“There are no home deliveries anymore,” he said. “Since the birthing center received additional essential equipment, the number of complications has significantly reduced.” #murma #nepal #kalikot rss
