Chamaki

Chamaki, a 25-year-old woman from Bajura, gave birth for the first-time last year at her family home. Chamaki had no choice in where she wanted to deliver her child; the nearest health facility to her village was too far away. Chamaki’s experience of pregnancy and her interaction with PHASE Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) signifies the importance of our healthcare support to the most remote villages in Nepal. For many young women in Nepal, healthcare services in a time of emergency are simply absent – PHASE is determined to change this reality for all Nepali women.

As Chamaki’s labour pains began to intensify on her due date, the family decided to alert the PHASE ANMs workers that happened to be visiting the village as part of their outreach programme. The two ANMs came straight Chamak’s home to assist with the birth. They were able to safely deliver the baby, however, there were complications delivering Chamaki’s placenta. Consequently, shortly after the birth Chamaki began to look faint and unwell, drifting in and out of consciousness with her baby in her arms. Immediately, the ANMs emptied Chamaki’s bladder with a catheter and successfully removed the placenta. They gave her antibiotics and IV fluids to support her recovery over the next few days. If PHASE’s ANMs were not visiting Chamaki’s village at this time, the only option for Chamaki would have been a three day trek to the nearest District Hospital. This would have almost certainly resulted in death of Chamaki and her child. Chamaki instead was able to hold her child in her arms and celebrate the life of her new-born son with her family.

Chamaki’s husband Hari told the ANMs: “I had lost hope in my wife surviving as the hospital is too far away. I am so grateful to PHASE for saving her life. We are indebted to PHASE for providing lifesaving services in such remote places”. PHASE has been working in extremely hard to reach areas for many years, providing them healthcare services that would otherwise be unavailable. This case demonstrates our success in providing life-changing healthcare to isolated communities but also how PHASE health workers are becoming valued in communities. Once more, we were able to save a life at birth.