Female health volunteers of Tatopani Rural Municipality have complained that a lack of stretchers has created problems in delivering services to patients. They stated that due to insufficient stretchers, they are compelled to carry patients on their backs from the settlement to the road. There are 300 to 400 households in the settlement, but only two to four volunteers. However, Chumkali Sarki of Bairanka, Tatopani Rural Municipality-1, said that there is only one stretcher for both Ranka and Bairanka. It has become very difficult to rely on a single stretcher for two villages. According to data from the Tatopani Health Post, Chumkali Sarki is the volunteer who has taken the highest number of pregnant women to the health post. This year alone, she has taken nine women to the health post and another nine to the Karnali Academy for delivery.
Despite assisting the highest number of childbirths, Chumkali Sarki highlighted that the lack of stretchers causes major problems. Similarly, Bimala Pariyar from Litakot, Tatopani-3, said the village has only one stretcher despite having nine health volunteers. She urged that each volunteer be provided with a stretcher to better serve their areas.
Likewise, female health volunteers under Hanku and Lamra Health Posts have reported challenges caused by a shortage of stretchers. Across the eight wards of Tatopani Rural Municipality, 67 female health volunteers serve the community, but they have not been provided with sufficient stretchers.
Guruprasad Chaulagai, Health Section Coordinator of Tatopani Rural Municipality, stated that 20 new stretchers have been purchased and will be distributed soon. He further explained, “Stretchers have been distributed to cover every settlement. However, due to a lack of proper care, some stretchers have been lost. Moving forward, responsibility will be assigned, and if a stretcher is lost, the concerned volunteer will be held accountable. Similarly, Ward Chairperson Gokarna Rawal of Tatopani-3 stated that he would coordinate with the health section to resolve the stretcher shortage. He added that due to limited resources, it is challenging to work effectively in all areas.