Nutrient-rich diet to pregnant women; child delivery at home reduces to zero
By Sita Tharu, a folk of Shivaraj municiplaity-1, Karahiya, was pregnant seven months ago. The ward office provided her with a crate of eggs as well as training on health care and safety. She then started consuming an egg every day. She shared, “The ward office gave me eggs as nutrient diet for the first time. Now my family has regularly arranged eggs”.
Likewise, Harikala Belbase, a 15-day pregnant, also received butter, honey and nourishing powder as well as health check-up service at home. She was elated to receive such care and support during sensitive period from the ward office. The ward office has also been providing a crate eggs each and basic safety training to 60 pregnant women in Shivaraj municiplaity-1. The municipality has allocated Rs 50,000 for each ward for distributing nutrient-rich diets and imparting health service training.
Ward chair Jagat Chhetri shared that the health workers are in close contact with all pregnant women in the ward. He said the family should pay special attention for arranging nutrient foods and care for healthy delivery. Similarly, the ward had provided half kilogram butter, similar quantity of honey and a packet nutrient-rich powder as well as health check-ups services to 14 pregnant women during mid-January to mid-February.
The nutrient diet package was distributed to 16 pregnant women from mid-February-mid-March. In-charge of Shivapur health post Lekhnath Poudel informed that the ward office and health post collaborated to provide nutrient foods to pregnant women in the ward. Number of child birth at home has reduced to zero of late, he said. “Previously the health volunteers used to take pregnant women to health facility. The trend has changed now. The pregnant women are proactively coming to the health facility for necessary service”.
He also claimed that the improved consumption of nutrient rich food and regular health follow-up have also contributed to reduce maternal mortality rate. The ward office has also implemented the ‘green flag’ at pregnant women’s home programme within the ward. It is being implemented to make easy to identify pregnant women’s home and provide concerned health services.