A four-year-old girl, who had been suffering from severe malnutrition, died for want of treatment in Baitadi district. 

Bina Dhami, of Chaukham-9, died last week as her parents Amar Singh and Muna could not take her to Dhangadhi for treatment. She was being treated at home with homemade remedies and by a shaman who visited occasionally. 

Bina was diagnosed with severe malnutrition during a health check-up at Chaukham Health Post two months ago. She was referred to the malnutrition treatment centre in Khodpe Health Post, where the health officials advised the girl’s parents to take her to Far Western Sub Regional Hospital in Dadeldhura.

Bina’s father, Amar, said he could not complete the treatment of his daughter because he ran out of money.

 “I had taken Rs 6,000 loan from a neighbour to take my daughter to Dadeldhura. The doctors there advised me to take her to the nutrition rehabilitation centre in Dhangadhi. Without enough money to go to Dhangadhi, I brought her back home,” said Amar, who works as a daily wage worker in India to support his family.

Bina was the fourth child of the Dhami couple. She weighed only 5.5 kg before her death. According to the local health post, nine other children in remote Chaukham have been diagnosed with severe malnutrition while 21 others have been suffering from mild malnutrition.

The district has been providing treatment to malnourished children in 12 health institutions. Patients suffering from severe malnutrition are provided free of cost treatment in Dhandgadhi. But many parents are unable to take their children to Dhangadhi as they cannot even afford travel fare.