After his eight-month-old daughter suddenly fell ill last week, Hari Prasad Paudel of Baireni in Pyuthan’s Airawati Rural Municipality-6 rushed to Puranthanti Health Post. Paudel did not hope that he would get quality service at the health post for his daughter, who suffered from high fever. After all, Paudel had often heard that patients were deprived of treatment due to the lack of doctors even in the district hospital. So, when he knew there was an MBBS doctor at Puranthanti, he was surprised.

“At first, I did not believe that the rural health post had a MBBS doctor,” Paudel said. “I believed it only after the doctor treated my pneumonia-stricken daughter.” Now his daughter is gradually recovering from the illness as Dr Amit Pandey, posted at the health post, diagnosed the disease and provided treatment accordingly.

If not for Pandey’s posting at the health post, Paudel—and many like him in Airawani—would be forced to travel to the district hospital in Bijuwar, which lies some 32 kilometres from Puranthanti, for quality health service. Ever since the health post recruited Dr Pandey, service seekers in this rustic local unit have been spared of all the hassle and desperation of having to travel such a long distance. The move might have even averted a tragedy or two.

The local residents are obviously happy and relieved. “Gone are the days when the villagers had to die in need of treatment,” Muna Rawal, a local, said. “Pregnant women are hugely benefited as ultrasound facilities are available along with laboratory services. The villagers could save much of their time and money.”

Some of the prominent new services available at the health post—supported by the rural municipality—now include X-ray, ultrasound, laboratory, and electrocardiogram.

Moreover, the health post provides round the clock service, according to Dr Pandey. He added he and his team try their best to provide quality health services to the 50 to 60 patients who visit the post on average daily.

The local people are thankful to the rural municipality for managing the MBBS post and enhancing health services at the health post. The villagers expect to get minor surgery facilities as well. “We don’t need to go to the district hospital or outside the district for minor health problems now which comes as such a relief but it’d be better if the health post also provides surgery facilities for safe delivery,” said Mankala Rana, a resident of Airawati-6.

Meanwhile, Gaumukhi Rural Municipality has also managed an MBBS doctor at Puja Health Post. “We managed the MBBS doctor at the health post even before Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bishnu Kumar Giri, the local unit chair. “Also, we are currently constructing a 15-bed hospital, committed to expanding quality health services in the rural areas.”