Dailekh: Manju Vik's one-and-a-half-month-old daughter suddenly had trouble breathing. She took her daughter to Lakandra Primary Health Center on Tuesday morning. The health workers did their best to treat the baby. He was referred to Surkhet Provincial Hospital at around 2 pm after his health did not improve.
After being referred to Surkhet by the health center, the baby's relatives informed the village municipality for an ambulance. They did not have the money to pay for the ambulance immediately. Even when he requested village chairman Dhir Bahadur Shahi for an ambulance, he was told that an ambulance could not be sent without paying cash. The newborn died of pneumonia as he could not be taken to Surkhet immediately. When the village municipality refused to lend an ambulance, the baby did not stay. It is 113 kilometers from Thatikandh village municipality to Surkhet. The village municipality refused to send an ambulance until the required Rs 9,000 was paid.
An ambulance was sent on loan at 10:30 pm on Tuesday at the initiative of Thatikandh Police Post after the baby became more difficult. However, 20-year-old Manju expressed grief over the death of her baby before reaching the state hospital in Surkhet. The family of the victim has complained that the infant died due to a delay in sending the ambulance fare till the village head is paid.
After being referred to the health center within two hours, the victim said that he did not even get a loan in the village and did not get the help of Chairman Shahi. "An ambulance sent on loan with the help of the police eight hours after asking for help from the village municipality was left with only half an hour to reach the state hospital. "If the municipality had sent an ambulance on time on Tuesday afternoon, the baby's life would have been saved," said Titu Kami of Tolijasi, Thatikandh village municipality-5.
Chairman of Thatikandh Village Municipality Dhir Bahadur Shahi said that free ambulance service was provided for pregnant women and maternity women but it was not possible to send an ambulance for other patients. 'It was sent on loan. If it had been sent on time, the baby's life would have been saved, but now he regrets it, 'said Chairman Shahi.
Manju was married to Man Bahadur BK at the age of 18 two years ago. He could not even name his daughter who was born on July 12. Her husband Man Bahadur has been in Almora, India for six months on wages. Man Bahadur could not even see the face of his first child.
