Upper Dolpa folks denied of lifesaving health services

Hemanta KC/RSS

Dolpa: Children of the upper Dolpa district hardly get lifesaving immunization service for six months which is normally available round the year in the urban and accessible areas.

Owing to geographical remoteness and excessive cold, the children of four rural municipalities of Dolpa are not accessing the vital service for six months.

According to the Health Service Office Dolpa, the children of upper Dolpa have been administered with immunization service from mid-March to mid-August every year.

The office further said the service has been made available for six months as it can be transported only during hot season.

Since the particular geography of the district sees snowfall during the cold season, it is difficult to supply the vaccines to the area.

Though the well-off people descend to lower Dolpa and other part of the country to access vaccination service to their children, there is no situation for economically backward families to have the most-required health service in upper Dolpa.

In-charge of Public Health Section under the District Health Service Amar Singh Shahi shared that there is no situation to supply vaccines and other lifesaving drugs to upper Dolpa through any transport means apart from helicopters. The upper Dolpa also has a very low number of health facilities.

Three is no birthing centres in three local levels, the Health Service Office said. Shahi further shared that Tse Foksundo rural municipality, Dolpobuddha rural municipality and Chharka Tangsong rural municipality – the high hill area of the district – are without birthing centres.

Likewise, Thulibheri municipality has two birthing centres, Tripurasundari municipality has four, Kaike rural municipality two, Jagdulla two and Mudkechula three birthing centres.

However, there is quite a low number of service recipients to take maternity services in the birthing centres. In dearth of machines, the expectant mothers are being tested manually here.

People are relying on indigenous herbal medication in treating child delivery complications to other life-threatening diseases in upper Dolpa.

Tse Foksundo rural municipality chair Tasitandup Gurung said most of the general public are forced to depend on herbal medication for treatment in lack of access to quality health services.

People’s representatives of three local levels of upper Dolpa said the health treatment is being carried out relying on herbal substances.