कोरोना भाइरसको प्रकोपले सर्वसाधारणलाई स्वास्थ्य केन्द्रको पहुँचमा कठिनाइ भएपछि स्थानीय सरकारले प्रजनन र परिवार नियोजनसम्बन्धी घरदैलो सेवा प्रदान गर्न थालेका छन् ।
काठमाडौं, कात्तिक २५ : स्याङ्जाको अर्जुन चौपारीकी १९ वर्षीया दिक्षा शर्मा (नाम परिर्वतन) आफ्नो रगतको नातामा रहेका युवकसँग घनिष्ट सम्पर्कमा आएपछि गर्भवती भइन् । यो अविवाहित किशोरी चाँडै गर्भावस्था समाप्त गर्न चाहन्थे र जिल्ला अस्पताल वा पोखरा खोज्ने निर्णय गरे। गत चैतमा कोरोना संक्रमण नियन्त्रणका लागि लक डाउन गरिएको र उनलाई कुनै पनि अस्पताल पुग्न सम्भव थिएन । त्यसपछि दुवैले गाउँपालिकाकी उपाध्यक्ष चिन्मय गुरुङसँग सल्लाह गरे ।
‘शर्मालाई गर्भपतन गराउने र केटालाई कारबाही गराउने योजनामा थिएँ’, गुरुङले भने, ‘तर स्थानीय प्रहरीले पहिले केटालाई पक्राउ गरेर केटीलाई बच्चा जन्माउन सघाउन खोजेकोले बालिकाको परिवारलाई उजुरी दिन भनियो । केटा विरुद्ध।” पक्राउ परेपछि घटना सार्वजनिक भएको थियो । त्यसपछि गुरुङले आमा र बच्चा दुवैको ज्यान जोगाउन चाहने बालिकाको परिवारलाई गर्भपतन नगर्न सुझाव दिए । सार्वजनिक घृणाको भावनालाई सम्बोधन गर्न गाह्रो भएपछि नगरपालिकाको सहयोगमा बालिकालाई माइती नेपाल, काठमाडौं पठाइयो। शर्माले अहिले बच्चा जन्माएको पनि गुरुङले बताए ।
लकडाउनको समयमा शिक्षा र सेवाको लागि समुदायमा जाने सेवा प्रदायक
आफ्नै ज्वाइँ चन्द्र शर्मा (नाम परिर्वतन) सँग सम्बन्ध राखेपछि एउटी महिला (जसको श्रीमान् विदेशमा थिए) गर्भवती भइन् यस्तै अर्को घटना गाउँले देखेको छ । गल्ती ढाकछोप गर्न दुवै जना गर्भपतनका लागि जिल्ला सदरमुकाम स्याङ्जा गए तर गर्भपतन गर्न सकेनन् । उनीहरुको सम्बन्धको खबर गाउँमा आगोझैं फैलियो र उनीहरुलाई जनताले बहिष्कार गरे । चिन्मयगुरुङले सहयोग मागेपछि गाडीको व्यवस्था गरी पोखरा पठाए । दुर्भाग्यवश, चन्द्राकी आमाको मृत्यु उहाँ गाउँबाट निस्किएपछि नै भयो र उहाँ अन्तिम संस्कारको लागि घर फर्कन सक्नुभएन।
गुरुङ भन्छन्, ‘कोरोना महामारीबीच लकडाउनका कारण दुवै घटना जटिल बन्दै गएका छन् ।
कोरोनाको प्रकोपपछि स्वास्थ्य केन्द्र र यातायात बन्द हुँदा सर्वसाधारणले समस्या भोग्नु परेको छ । स्थानीय सरकार निकायहरूले यस समयमा आवश्यक मानिसहरूलाई सहयोग गर्न सक्दो प्रयास गरिरहेका छन्।
Bhirkot municipality office recently helped a woman who faced an unwanted pregnancy. According to Chhyaram Khanal, chief of the municipality, the woman was sent to Butwal for abortion after chief district officer Rambahadur Kurungbang helped with a vehicle arrangement.
in the midst of unavailability of public transport and risk of Corona exposure in hospitals and health centers, several rural municipalities in coordination with non-government organizations have started providing abortion and maternity counseling services at homes. Arjun Chaupari village municipality and Bhirkot municipality are two such communities. In collaboration with Ipas Nepal, Arjun Chaupari has been providing abortion services in the village itself. The village municipality has allocated 5 lakh rupees for this service. 38 trained female health workers and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) are working in the front end.
Country Director of Ipas Nepal Dr. Popular Gentle says, self-managed medication abortion and telemedicine service are practiced globally and the Nepal government has now stepped into it targeting the Corona effect. Home-based abortion service has definitely eased women’s lives.
In Baishakh, the Ministry of Health and Population introduced Interim Guidance for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services in COVID-19 Pandemic. The guidance has facilitated the way people approached medical solutions. Women also can receive information about safe abortion, availability of services, alternatives, details about required medicines, symptoms about complications, etc. from the primary health centers, and health posts through telephone.
The government has now allowed distributors to store and distribute the medicines of abortion that are approved by the Department of Drug Administration. Listed pharmacies and trained pharmacists did not have permission earlier.
Bhirkot municipality has trained and mobilized 55 volunteers. Chief of the municipality ChhyaramKhanal said each of the volunteers is given an android phone and they coordinate with respective focal health personnel through a video call. Health workers regularly guide them while they are in the field. Door to door service is gradually extended across the country.
ANM Ranjita Sharma Acharya from Purbakhola village municipality health post, Palpa said, they have been receiving requests for abortion services. She provided required assistance to five women who sought an abortion in the last three months. “Two of them came through female health workers while I went to provide home service to one, Ranjita said “A lot of women consult us regarding abortion services through telephone as well.” Women do not like to disclose when it comes to abortion and there’s quite a difficulty in maintaining privacy in village areas.
ANM DevikaBhattarai from Sakhejung Health Post, Ilam municipality ward number 1 received a phone call on 31st Shrawan. It was with a request from a woman who wanted to abort her unwanted pregnancy but couldn’t reach health post as local transportations were affected due to the Covid pandemic. Finally, Bhattarai provided her home abortion service.
Devika also resolved a similar issue of a 20-year-old from Ilam Municipality ward number 1 who couldn’t go to a hospital or clinic for abortion due to Covid outbreak. Devika says, “Women first consult through phone, we usually call them to the health post. If they are not feasible to come, we provide home service.”
Despite the government’s initiative towards safe abortion after the Corona outbreak, a lot of women seem unaware of the same. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, Rolpa, Palpa. Achham, Tehrathum, Doti, Dadeldhura are the districts where service providers are actively working.
According to Dr. Bhimsingh Tinkari (Head of Family Welfare Division, the Ministry of Health and Population), the implementation of the interim guidance was brought to avoid the Coronavirus effect in other health services. The government’s step towards safe maternity, family planning, reproductive health, vaccine, and other pregnancy-related services is being appreciated amidst the pandemic crisis. Vaccination against measles, rubella, distribution of vitamin A capsules, etc. have also been done successfully. Maternity and abortion services are also being provided more conveniently than earlier. Tinkari says, “We can not block other health services just because Covid has hit us hard. Covid is just a component.” He further added, “If not 100%, we are at least doing more than nothing.”
MA provider, Samikshya Shrestha from Kailpalmandu HP, Dadeldhura providing Homebased counselling to the target group at remote community.
Unfortunately, during the first one and half months of lockdown, 45 pregnant women lost their lives due to deprivation of maternity health service. Death cases due to the inability to reach the hospital on time in need and the interruption of maternity services due to various reasons drew the government’s attention. Tinkari said the services have been made smooth by making guidelines in collaboration with the partner organizations of the Ministry of Health. Tinkari added, “the Ministry is also studying the effects of Covid in reproductive health and family planning, we will soon release the report.”
Source: https://www.nayapage.com/archives/272002, November 1 2020.
