Despite government efforts to ensure that women give birth in health facilities, home deliveries remain common in Doti, with 43 women delivering their babies at home in 11 months of the last fiscal year.

According to the Doti Health Office, among the district’s nine local governments, Purbi Chowki Rural Municipality recorded the highest number, with nine home deliveries. Eight of them took place in ward 7 and one in ward 2.

Adarsha and Badikedar rural municipalities recorded eight home deliveries each, followed by Sayal with six, Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality with four, Bogatan Phudsil Rural Municipality with three, Jorayal and KI Singh rural municipalities with two each, and Shikhar Municipality with one.

Dilliram Joshi, chief of the Doti Health Office, said four women had given birth at home even in Dipayal Silgadhi, where the district headquarters is located. The municipality has a district hospital, three private hospitals and seven birthing centres.

Joshi said the government had put in place arrangements to encourage women to deliver at health facilities because home births can put both mothers and newborns at risk.

The figures also show gaps in antenatal and postnatal care. Kapildev Joshi, information officer at the health office, said only 42 percent of pregnant women had completed all eight antenatal check-ups required under the latest guidelines.

Likewise, only 44 percent of women had received all four recommended postnatal check-ups, he said.

The continued prevalence of home births, even in areas with access to hospitals and birthing centres, points to persistent gaps in access to and uptake of maternal healthcare in the district.