21 Jul 23
Sindhupalchok, which is around 2-3 hours drive from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, is a large district with an estimated population of 287,798. The district is located within Province No.3, which covers approximately 14% of the country and is home to 5.5 million people. Similarly to the other districts that PHASE works in, there is a lack of healthcare support, educational opportunity and livelihoods development in this district, especially in the more remote areas.
Across Province 3 there are 885 public healthcare facilities, and 1057 private healthcare facilities. For Sindhupalchok the share of public healthcare facilities is very limited; there are only 76 health posts, one government hospital and three primary healthcare centres.
The majority of these healthcare facilities, such as the government hospital, are located predominantly in the southwestern part of the district. This means that the majority of health facilities are only accessible to communities that live closer to main road networks or for those that live in the urban towns. The unequal distribution of healthcare facilities in Sindhupalchok contributes to the isolation and marginalisation of communities. Many individuals may never come into contact with a trained healthcare worker or receive emergency support for health problems.
Regional agricultural production falls short of the required food amount for the population of Province No.3, meaning there is a considerable food shortage across the region. The reality of this deficit is clear through high food poverty prevalence in Sindhupalchok, with 33%-52% of people living in food poverty.
In Sindhupalchok, PHASE has been working to increase healthcare provision through supporting community health posts. Specifically, PHASE Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) have been operational in the villages of Fulpingkot and Hagam of Sindhupalchok. The extra support and the expansion of healthcare services has meant that health posts in Sindhupalchok have been able to reach more people than ever before. This is a vital achievement for our work in Nepal, as healthcare is one of the major interconnected problems that impacts education and livelihood development. Through increased primary healthcare provision, villages like Fulpingkot and Hagam are better supported to reach self-sufficiency.
This is highlighted by that fact that in 2018 PHASE has withdrawn our staff from the health centre in Fulpingkot, handing over to the government.
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