MUGU, Oct 23: Safe motherhood is still a challenge in several rural parts of the country and health posts are struggling to have equipments necessary to offer quality services in the area. However, it has been learnt that neonatal and maternal care equipments are gathering rust at some health centers in Mugu.
The equipments were provided to these health centers by various organizations including the UNICEF through their local bodies. Authorities concerned said that the health centers have been unable to use the equipment due to lack of human resources.
Health centers of Chhayanath Municipality, Khatyad Rural Municipality, Soru Rural Municipality and Karmarong Rural Municipality, have been struggling to use the equipments provided.
Medical equipment worth billions dumped by govt hospitals
“These equipments would have significantly improved the quality of services provided by health centers. They would have assisted in improving medical care provided to the baby and mother. However, they have not come into use in some health posts,” said Indra Kala Tamang, UNICEF’s program officer of Safe Motherhood Program.
“UNICEF had provided equipments needed for neonatal and maternal care worth Rs 2.5 million to every health facility in the district,” she added.
Hari Bahadur Shahi, program coordinator of Karnali Community, expressed concern in this regard stating equipments provided by various organizations and donor agencies have remained unused in the lack of efficient human resources.
The medical equipment provided to the health centers are modern and need trained professionals to operate them. “But there is a lack of such human resources with our health posts,” he said. He added that the local bodies should expedite process for hiring the required human resources in the health sector.
Shahi further stated that the ongoing employee adjustment process has further aggravated human resource crunch in health facilities across the district. It is not just the Safe Motherhood Program, but even other types of services provided by health centers has been affected due to the ongoing transfers of doctors, nurses and technicians, he said.
