A total of 161 women under the age of 20 underwent abortion at varous health institutions in Gorkha in the last fiscal year.
According to the District Public Health Office (DPHO) data, 805 women had aborted fetus in the fiscal year 2015-16. “20 percent of the women were under the age of 20,” said Bir Bahadur Shrestha, the family planning supervisor of the DPHO, indicating the growing rate of abortion cases among young women. In the fiscal year 2014-15, 10 percent of women below 20 underwent abortions in the district.
There are only four safer abortion service centres in the district. “It is dangerous to become pregnant under the age of 20. There could be complications during delivery, putting both mother and child at risk,” he warned.
Many private clinics are also providing abortion services in the district. One of the medical operators in the district said the majority of women under the age of 20 aborted their child using medicines. The DPHO said it would put in more efforts to make the family planning and awareness programme effective to check on the growing abortion rate among young women in the district.
38pc women in Saptari give birth at home
The District Public Health Office (DPHO) said that 38 percent of women in Saptari district give birth to their babies at home. Senior Public Health Administrator Bijaya Kumar Jha said pregnant woman in remote areas deliver babies at home due to lack of knowledge. “There are few birthing centres in remote villages,” said Jha. “It is necessary to deliver babies in the birthing centres to reduce the risks associated with home births,” he added. Female community health volunteers have said most of the pregnant women of rural areas do not go to health centres for regular check-up during pregnancy. There are only 26 birthing centres in 91 VDCs and five municipalities in the district.
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