On Tuesday, Sunita Sunar, 20, became the first woman to undergo a C-section surgery for a successful delivery at Dodhara Chandani Basic Hospital.

The first-time mother, a resident of ward 6 of Dodhara Chandani Municipality, was taken to the basic hospital in the same ward on Monday. She had already gone into labour by the time she reached the hospital, according to Nandraj Bhatta, information officer at the hospital. Her health condition did not allow for a natural birth process, hence the surgery. “It took half an hour of surgery to deliver the baby,” Bhatta said. “Both are in good health now and have not been discharged from the hospital.”

Dodhara Chandani Basic Hospital, which currently has 15 beds, was upgraded from a primary health centre on April 25, 2023. Earlier, the hospital did not offer C-section service as it lacked manpower and equipment. “Although we had a birthing centre, we had to refer pregnant women in need of surgeries elsewhere,” said Bhatta. “We had to send patients even with minor complications to other hospitals.”

According to the hospital data, in the last fiscal year, a total of 93 pregnant women who came to the hospital for maternity services were referred to other hospitals. The nearest hospital with C-section service is Mahakali Provincial Hospital, which is around 12 km from Dodhara Chandani Hospital.

Satana Nepali, a 23-year-old woman of ward 7, was rushed to Dodhara Chandani Basic Hospital last year for delivery but was experiencing complications for natural birth. Then the doctors referred her to Mahakali Provincial Hospital for a C-section.

“I vaguely remember that day. I was in labour. Although the provincial hospital is only 12km from Dodhara Chandani, the distance felt longer because the pain was unbearable,” said Nepali. “Women with complicated pregnancies had to endure so much pain for a lack of required medical services in the municipality. The new development at the basic hospital is a welcome change for the local women who have suffered due to lack of proper maternal health services.”

The hospital started C-section service on June 22 in collaboration with the Dodhara Chandani Municipal Office and the Department of Health Services under the Ministry of Health has also established a blood transfusion centre.

“The hospital has started collecting contact information for blood donors of different blood groups for the convenience of patients,” said Bhatta.

According to Jaya Singh Mahara, head of the health unit of the Dodhara Chandani Municipality, at least 432 pregnant women received safe maternity services from the hospital in the last fiscal year without surgery.

“We have targeted at least 700 institutional births—natural and C-section—in the municipality this year,” said Mahara. “Now that the surgical maternity services in the hospital have come into operation, the locals no longer have to worry about going elsewhere for safe delivery even for complicated cases. With the first C-section conducted on Tuesday, the hospital is now ready to provide the service as and when needed.”

According to Bhatta, the hospital currently has one MD general practitioner, three medical officers, six auxiliary nursing midwives and seven staff nurses. “The Nick Simons Institute, a social organisation working in rural health care, also assisted in manpower and equipment,” said Bhatta.

The new development heralds a big change in the public health sector for Dodhara Chadani, says Om Basnet, spokesman for the municipality. “The municipal office is working on plans to further upgrade and develop the health sector in the future,” he said.