Kota village, located by the Kaligandaki River in Tanahun, witnessed bustling activity on Saturday on the premises of Parvati Secondary School, situated in Devghat Rural Municipality-1. A team of doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers from Chitwan Hospital in Bharatpur conducted a free health camp, drawing local residents, including parents, who brought their children for check-ups.

In one of the rooms on the west side of the school building, paediatrician Dr Krishna Sagar Sharma Paudel was examining 60 children. “One seven-year-old girl’s right eye appeared unusual. After testing, we found that her vision was impaired,” said Dr Paudel. The girl’s mother was unaware of her child’s vision issue before the check-up.

Dr Paudel recommended an immediate visit to an eye hospital. “If treatment begins quickly, the eye problem may not worsen, and there’s a possibility of improvement,” he added. Another seven-year-old girl weighed only 14 kg, though children of that age should weigh around 20-25 kg. The girl had persistent skin itching, which had been treated before, but the problem kept recurring. Her mother explained that the condition worsened after a few days despite medication.

Dr Paudel advised that the issue might be due to an allergy, recommending a blood test. A 14-year-old girl who had complained of headaches since childhood also consulted the doctor for the first time.

Maniraj Gurung, the ward chairperson of Devghat Rural Municipality-1, said the village has many health issues.

“Just on January 22, a 13-year-old girl from here passed away. She had been crying due to ear pain but couldn’t get treatment in time. Her parents had no way to take her to the hospital. I didn’t learn about it in time either,” he said.

“Kota is about 15 km from Gaindakot, but you can't travel by vehicle due to the lack of a permanent bridge. To reach Bharatpur, one must travel 35 km via Devghat and cross the Trishuli River from Thimura. Moreover, the road from Kota to Devghat is difficult to navigate.”

This year, the bridge at Thimura was built, connecting Kota to Bharatpur.

“Although the place seems close, the inconvenience makes it feel distant. This area is quite isolated. It’s not easy to travel for treatment due to the lack of proper infrastructure,” he said.

Dr Vijay Paudel, the director of Chitwan Hospital, said that 425 people were examined during the camp. The team, equipped with video X-ray facilities and specialists, conducted X-rays for 130 people and tested 200 others for blood sugar, identifying 12 with medical issues.