Kapurkot Rural Municipality’s decision to provide health services through its health centres even during public holidays, including Saturdays, has been lauded by the locals who had to travel to Tulsipur in Dang for medical emergencies during holidays.

Six public health facilities in the rural municipality, located in the hilly area of the district, started providing health services seven days a week including during public holidays from July 2022.

The service has come as a boon for senior citizens, children, and those who face medical emergencies.

According to Durga Bahadur Pun, chairman of the rural municipality, there are six wards in the local unit each with its own health centre.

“The rural municipality has made arrangements for the operation of all six health posts seven days a week. We provide extra allowances to health workers who work during holidays,” said Pun. “We are very happy because it has saved the locals the trouble of seeking medical care elsewhere.”

According to Subash Hamal, coordinator of the health unit of the rural municipality, in the past year, more than 10,000 people have received health services from the six health posts. Around 30 percent of patients visited the health posts during public holidays.

“Most of the service seekers were elderly people and children,” said Hamal.

Kapurkot Rural Municipality lies in the hills of Salyan and is geographically remote. Access to health services throughout the week has made life easier for the residents of the rural municipality, says Hamal.

“The health facilities are crowded with service seekers all through the week. The elderly and children visit the facilities during holidays to avoid the rush on other days of the week,” said Hamal. “This service has not only benefited regular service seekers but those who face emergencies. Earlier, all health posts would remain closed during public holidays and Saturdays so the patients would not get treatment as and when needed. But that is a thing of the past now. The locals no longer have to rush to Tulsipur during medical emergencies.”

According to Bharat Kumar Oli, the chief administrative officer of the rural municipality, the rural municipality allocates a separate budget for the extended service to make it more effective.

“During holidays it would be difficult to procure even basic medicines like paracetamol because the health posts would be closed,” said Oli. “Now they can go to the health posts for medicines anytime they need.”

The health workers also pay visits to those who cannot come to the health posts for treatment. “Health workers provide treatment to the disabled and elderly citizens at home even during holidays.”

Last Saturday, a boy was injured in a road accident and lost a lot of blood, according to Dal Bahadur Pun, a local of Rim village in ward 5. While earlier the villagers would rush to make arrangements to take the injured to Tulsipur, this time they took him to the local health post. “He received treatment on time and is recovering well," said Dal Bahadur.

According to ward chairman Durga Bahadur Pun, higher authorities have shown interest in extending help to expand and upgrade health services in the rural municipality. “The health facilities will remain open during festivals too. We plan to mobilise more health workers during Dashain and Tihar holidays,” said Durga Bahadur. “The rural municipality has plans to bring a specialist doctor once a month so that the locals can share their health concerns with the doctor,” he said.