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Lila Mahara from Ukuma Health Post acted promptly after learning that a pregnant woman, Hira Raut, 22, from Amtole in Malikarjun Rural Municipality-6, was being taken to a witch doctor, ultimately saving her life with the help of healthcare workers. When Hira Raut experienced labor pains on December 28 , her family took her to a witch doctor. During labor, she displayed symptoms like swollen limbs and drooling from the mouth, which are typical signs in women during childbirth.

The Raut family, who live in Amtole, is situated in a forest area about half an hour’s distance from the Ukuma Health Post. Ganesh Mahara, a driver who has been operating the ambulance in the Ukuma area, informed Senior ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) Lila Mahara at the Ukuma Health Post via phone that a woman in labor had been taken for witch doctor. Upon receiving the information, the ANM gathered details about the woman’s condition and realized that she was experiencing labor pains. After that, with the driver’s assistance, the woman in labor was brought to the health post. Since treatment was not possible at the health post, the ANM informed Dr. Sanjeev Shrestha at the District Hospital in Darchula. The ANM Mahara mentioned that if the healthcare workers had not been informed about the woman’s condition in time, her life could have been at risk. The treatment was also not feasible in the district, but despite the risks, the doctors agreed to perform a surgery.

Dr. Sanjeev Shrestha of the District Hospital, Darchula stated that normally, such complex surgeries are not performed in the district, they would typically refer such cases outside the district. Due to the family’s poor financial condition, they refused to be referred outside.” It is also relatively easy to reach the Pithoragarh hospital in India from Ukuma. However, due to financial constraints, the woman’s life was at risk. “We couldn’t arrange for a helicopter to bring her to the district at night. The case was very complicated,” stated Chief District Officer Yagyaraj Joshi, who also made efforts to secure a helicopter. However, the response was that it was not possible to land a helicopter at night.” “In such cases, there is only a 10% chance of saving a life. The woman had to be fully restrained, with her arms and legs held, and an injection was given to make her unconscious,” Dr. Sanjeev Shrestha explained. He mentioned that a team of healthcare workers, including Dr. Ranjit Pathak, Dr. Rajesh Awasthi, and Dr. Sanjeev Shrestha, successfully saved both the mother and the baby.

The woman’s husband, Janak Raut, shared that due to financial difficulties, they could not take her to Pithoragarh hospital in India. He said, “I didn’t have money. The delivery was a month away, but when sudden complications occurred, we didn’t know what to do. If we had gone to Pithoragarh, we would have reached in two hours, and the hospital there had better facilities. But without money, we brought her to the district hospital with the help of the healthcare workers.”

Janak is very happy that both the mother and child’s lives were safely saved by the doctor in the district. “After eight years of marriage, I have finally had a child. Now, I am fully dedicated to caring for both my mother and child. There is no one to help, so I have to manage everything alone,” he shared.

Even today, there is a lack of awareness in rural areas about the importance of timely and regular pregnancy check-ups, and the practice of believing in traditional healers like witch doctors still persists. Senior nurse Mahara mentions that the woman only visited the district hospital for an ultrasound when she was seven months pregnant. Even though there was a health post nearby, she did not come for check-ups. The area where she lives is mostly inhabited by the marginalized Dalit community, and due to the lack of awareness, health workers are only contacted when the condition becomes critical.

Living by Selling Firewood in the Forest

For many years, the Rauté family has been living in Amthola, Ward No. 6 of Malikarjun Rural Municipality. They have made a small hut deep in the jungle, where the family resides. Currently, there are only three members in the family. They live in a house made of grass and leaves.

Due to their life in the jungle, they don’t have any other sources of income, but they manage to get by by selling firewood, shares Janak Rauté. “I use the social security allowance provided by the government to buy food. The rest of the income comes from selling firewood,” he says.

Although Janak has three brothers and three sisters, only Janak, his wife Hira, and his brother Prakash Rauté live in the village. Prakash is currently studying in Class 8 at Saraswati Secondary School in Uku village. Janak complains that Prakash has to work in other people’s homes while studying in the village.

Narendra Singh Karki