Bimala Biswakarma with her husband and baby
Expectant hope
Karen Craig shares her experience of visiting a residential home in Nepal that cares for expectant mothers, a project supported by Presbyterian Women.
“I
t’s a girl!” “It’s a boy!” “It’s twins!” Have any of these exhuberant expressions ever been said to you, or perhaps a sister or a friend? What excitement it holds; the future is no longer the same as before, a miracle has happened as a new life has entered into the family. For many women the experience of pregnancy and childbirth is straightforward, yet for others it can be filled with worry or concern. At these times many parents appreciate the help and support given to them by family and friends, but especially the medical expertise they receive. Imagine, however, that you live 9,500 feet above sea level, in a small village in the Himalayas. You sense that something is not quite right with your pregnancy; you have a little help, maybe a neighbour or friend, but you know that more support is needed. This is a picture of what could happen as
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in Nepal almost 50% of births happen at home with minimal or no support. Travel in the foothills is dictated by the terrain. When you think of making a journey you estimate in terms of time and not distance, as the roads twist and turn, are rough and at times difficult to negotiate. I travelled some of these roads in November 2019 when I visited Okhaldhunga Community Hospital in Nepal. The hospital is nestled in a valley at 6,500 feet in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is supported by United Mission to Nepal (UMN). Peter Lockwood, one of PCI’s global mission
This is the reason the home exists – to bring hope to these ladies and their families.
workers, has helped with work on the hospital in his role within UMN. The 50-bed hospital has an outpatients department, TB unit, X-ray department, general surgery, paediatrics and maternity wards and it aims to provide these services to the surrounding rural districts. For many of the women living in these areas it has been a lifeline to them, especially during their pregnancy. The hospital has been offering help and support to the communities around and so they have developed the maternal waiting home. The idea is to encourage women to come to hospital for their antenatal visits; and then, if the staff are concerned for the baby, or if the delivery may pose a problem, it is suggested to the parents they come to the maternal waiting home a week or so before the due date. It means the mother-to-be is onsite and will have all the help and support she needs. Up to a third of the women
