Tila Rural Municipality–3 Kudari village resident, Asmita Nepali, 18, a post-partum mother, died on March 12. After giving birth at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Jumla, Nepali was taken the same day by a Nepal Army helicopter to the Provincial Hospital in Surkhet for further treatment. She died during treatment at Provincial Hospital Surkhet.
Married at a very young age, she was not brought to the hospital in time for childbirth. Family members relied on traditional healers and ritual healing in the village. Only after Asmita’s labor pain became severe was she taken to the hospital. Doctors said the postpartum mother died due to not receiving timely treatment.
Similarly, Muga Shahi, 30, a postpartum mother of Bairaka, Tatopani Rural Municipality–1, died on January 24 last year. The newborn baby born to her also died. Doctors said that both the postpartum mother and the newborn died because they were not taken to the hospital in time after first relying on ritual healing performed by traditional healers.
The newborn baby and postpartum mother Shahi died during treatment at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Jumla. Shahi, who had been kept in the ICU of the academy, died during treatment on January 24 last year. Her baby had already died when it was brought to the hospital on January 17. Female Community Health Volunteer Chhumkali Sarki of the same village said she took the postpartum mother to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw after learning that her condition had become serious.
According to the family, the deceased postpartum mother, Muga Shahi, had experienced labor pain on the night of January 16 last year. However, instead of taking her to the hospital in time, the family relied on traditional healers, which delayed her arrival at the hospital. According to Dhirendra Dangi of Dangiwada, Tatopani Rural Municipality–2, the brother of the deceased, his sister lost her life because she was taken to the hospital too late. According to gynecologist Dr. Kavita Shah of the academy, Shahi was brought to the hospital unconscious on January 17 and was placed on a ventilator. She died during treatment.
“After seeing the postpartum mother’s health in a critical condition, we started ventilator treatment within two to three minutes from the ICU,” she said. “It was a tragic incident because the family brought her to the hospital very late. As soon as labor pain begins, health workers should be informed, and the patient should be brought to the hospital. However, there was a significant delay in bringing her to the hospital.” As she did not regain consciousness in the ICU, Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital referred her on January 18. The family attempted to take her to Kathmandu, but it was not possible to take her outside the district. After that, both the postpartum mother and the baby died.
According to nurse Tika Pun Magar of the Public Health Office Jumla, two postpartum mothers have died in the current fiscal year 2025/26. One was from Tatopani Rural Municipality and one from Tila Rural Municipality. Similarly, three postpartum mothers died in the previous fiscal year. One was from Patarasi Rural Municipality, one from Sinja Rural Municipality, and one from Tatopani Rural Municipality.
According to Dr. Nabin Kumar Mandal of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Jumla, another postpartum woman related to a similar case is currently receiving treatment at the hospital. She was also brought to the hospital only after her condition had become very complicated. “Due to the relentless efforts of doctors, she has survived,” he said. “Her health condition is gradually improving, and she is likely to be discharged in a few days.”
He said that the continued practice in society of relying first on traditional healers or ritual healing instead of modern medical services has led to serious health complications and situations where patients’ lives are put at risk.
According to doctors, serious complications during pregnancy can put both the mother and the baby at risk if timely treatment is not received. A complicated condition such as HELLP syndrome that sometimes appears during pregnancy is considered extremely dangerous. If such a condition occurs, immediate specialist medical treatment is required. However, if the patient does not reach the hospital in time, it can endanger not only the life of the pregnant woman but also the life of the unborn baby.