Four years ago, a pregnant woman in Nuwakot at Hatiya-6 died of excessive bleeding while giving birth at home as there was no birthing centre nearby. Hatiya Health Post chief Dilu Subedi said the woman could have been saved if her guardians were able to take her to the district headquarters.

Likewise, another pregnant woman of Aamalachaur also died due to the excessive bleeding while being ferried to the district headquarters two years ago.

However, no such cases have been recorded in the district after the District Public Health Office established birthing centres and upgraded 35 sub-health posts in remote areas as health posts. Besides this, the Dhaulagiri Zonal Hospital, District Hospital and Primary Health Centre have also started operating birthing centers.

“We have been able to disseminate information that there was no single case of maternal and infant mortality during delivery in the district in the past one year,” said Maheshwor Shrestha, senior public health administrator, adding that they are making efforts to prevents deaths of mothers and infants in the upcoming years as well.

Forty-six percent of women have given birth to their child at birthing centers where as 50 percent of pregnant women visit nearby health institutions for regular health check-ups, Shrestha claimed, adding that the district has become a model in minimising mortality rate.

Harikashi Palikh, a nurse at the DPHO, said 1, 392 women gave birth to babies in health institutions.

Laxmi Sharma of Hatiya said establishment of birthing centre in the village has saved pregnant women from going to district headquarters. “Pregnant women also got government allowances as they go for regular check-ups at health facilities,” she said.