DHADING, MAY 08 – While many health institutions across the country are struggling to provide basic services to patients, a sub-health post in the district has managed to provide round-the-clock ambulance and maternity services to local people.

The sub-health post at Salyankot-7 is the only rural health facility to provide such service in the district, according to the District Public Health Office (DPHO).

“We have been able to provide 24-hour maternity service with assistance from the DPHO while the ambulance service has been operated at the initiative of local residents,” said Assistant Health Worker (AHW) Gyan Bahadur Dahal, incharge of the sub-health post. Presently, there are four health personnel at the sub-health post while arrangements have been made for a separate staffer to handle maternity cases. “We do our level best to provide health services to people here and send them to the district headquarters if the case is complicated,” Dahal said.

“As the district headquarters is a four-hour ride from the VDC, we purchased the ambulance for Rs 941,000 to help patients during emergencies,” said former VDC chairperson, Hari Bahadur Basnet. Local residents procured the ambulance after collecting Rs 600,000 in donations.

The sub-health post has also been providing counseling services to youths on a weekly basis. It has also been organising programmes to create awareness among locals and holding discussions with service seekers and local stakeholders to find ways for improvement and make the health service effective.

The services were started after forming a committee to look after the overall management of the services and maintain quality control.

Currently, local Mothers’ Group and ten volunteers have been helping run the sub-health post effectively. The extended services have also benefited locals from neighbouring VDCs, including Mulpani, Gumdi, Phoolkharka, and Aaginchowk. According to the DPHO, there are 16 sub-health posts in the district.

-ekantipur.com