Twenty-one-year-old Junu BK from Rahagaun in ward 10 of Thulibheri Municipality, Dolpa, experienced severe postpartum hemorrhage after delivering her baby with a retained placenta. Thanks to an emergency airlift by the Nepal Army last week, she was medevaced to Surkhet where both the mother and newborn are receiving treatment at the provincial hospital. “That day, I thought my life was over. I never imagined that a helicopter would come to save me,” Junu recalled the ordeal.

Similarly, 15-year-old Jamuna Budha Magar from ward 3 of Tripurasundari Municipality in Dolpa, a remote mountain district of Karnali Province, faced severe complications due to pregnancy at a young age. She was worried not only about her own survival but also about her baby’s health. Unfortunately, her fears came true when she suffered from excessive bleeding after delivery. She was airlifted by a Nepal Army chopper under the President’s Women Uplift Programme. "Women in remote areas like us survive childbirth by sheer luck. I was fortunate this time," she said. "If I had access to nutritious food and regular check-ups during pregnancy, my condition would have been better. But the health post is too far away."

These are just a few examples of how free air rescue services have saved women in remote areas in the country. Since 2019, when the President’s Women Upliftment Programme was introduced under the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, over 808 women from 44 districts have been airlifted and saved from life-threatening conditions during pregnancy and childbirth.

The government launched this programme in the fiscal year 2018/19 to assist financially disadvantaged pregnant and postpartum women in remote regions. According to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, the Nepal Army, responsible for air rescue operations, has successfully saved 808 women to date—351 from Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, and 457 from other provinces. To ensure rapid response in Karnali and Sudurpaschim, an airbase has been established in Surkhet.

Lalshobha Singh, a 23-year-old woman from ward 4 of Mahabai Rural Municipality in Kalikot, recalls her near-death experience. During her pregnancy in February, she suffered from high blood pressure. With no adequate treatment available at the local health post, she was referred to the district hospital. When the district hospital could not handle her case, she was airlifted to Surkhet. Her husband, working in Kuwait, was not around to support her. "There’s no transport to the district headquarters from our village. It takes a whole day on foot," said her father, Man Bahadur Singh. "The hospital called for a helicopter, which saved my daughter and grandchild."

Reaching a health facility from remote villages in mountain regions is often an ordeal. The mountainous terrain and long travel times pose serious risks to maternal and infant health.

Despite such rescues, maternal deaths still occur due to delays in seeking care. Last year, 24-year-old Pabitra Shahi from ward 7 of Sarkegad Rural Municipality in Humla died from excessive postpartum bleeding. She had been in labour for four days at a local health facility before succumbing to complications.

According to the health officials working in these areas, many women are taken to health centers only after they experience severe labour pains, which increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality. “Due to geographical barriers, many women cannot access health facilities. The lack of skilled manpower, equipment and timely check-ups leads to high maternal and infant mortality rates,” said Sarita Bohora, a senior auxiliary nursing midwife at Humla District Hospital. “The air rescue programme has been crucial in saving lives in the remote region."

The Nepal Army has started providing emergency rescue services in Karnali and Sudurpaschim from its western airbase in Birendranagar since 2019. The ministry coordinates rescue operations through recommendations from the chief district officer and local health facilities of the respective district.

The free air rescue service operates in all local units of 19 remote districts including Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Khotang, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Manang, Mustang, Rukum (East), Rukum (West), Jajarkot, Dolpa, Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Bajhang, Bajura, Achham, and Darchula. In 25 additional districts, it is partially implemented providing airlifts only for the most critical cases. Dr Rabin Khadka, chief at the Health Service Directorate in Karnali Province, said the air rescue initiative has markedly reduced maternal and infant mortality in remote areas.

Despite its success, many impoverished families remain unaware of the programme. Laxmi Kumari Basnet, secretary of the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, said that only those who heard about air rescue services have benefited so far. “More awareness is needed to reach all disadvantaged families,” she added.

The free air rescue service continues to be a beacon of hope for pregnant and postpartum women in remote Nepal. However, for it to have a lasting impact, greater awareness, improved healthcare accessibility and round-the-clock rescue operations are essential.

A major challenge is the programme’s inability to operate after 5pm due to the lack of night vision capabilities in helicopters. As a result, some mothers die from preventable complications because they cannot be rescued at night. According to Basnet, the government has spent Rs 225.8 million so far on the programme.