Roadside delivery highlights barriers, beliefs in Bajura healthcare
Summary
A 26-year-old woman gave birth to a baby boy by the roadside in Bajura after travelling seven hours, with health workers rushing in to save both mother and child. The case highlights recurring roadside births in the district, driven by poor roads, weak health services and a belief that married women should not deliver at their maternal home.
Key Points
- Kamala Bogati, 26, gave birth to a baby boy by the roadside in Budhiganga-6 after travelling from her maternal home in Bajura.
- Health workers and local residents rushed to assist, and both mother and child were reported stable after the delivery.
- The birth was linked not only to difficult terrain and poor roads but also to a traditional belief that women should not deliver at their maternal home.
- Health workers say two to three women in Bajura give birth en route to health facilities each month because of weak infrastructure and monsoon disruptions.
