Patients in eight health posts of Humla being treated in dim light of oil lamp

By Rajan Rawat

Humla, Oct. 13: There is no electricity for the past 10 days at Dandafaya Health Post in Ward No. 7 of Simkot Rural Municipality in Humla district. 

During the night, the health personnel are bound to treat patients in the dim light of oil lamp.

According to Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) Ramita Rokaya of the health post, there is no electricity since the production from Hildum Micro Hydropower Project has stopped.

“First, we used up the charge of our mobile phones by using the torch. We searched for kerosene and have been using oil lamps to treat patients during the night time for more than a week,” said Rokaya. 

The Dandafaya Health Post alone has treated around 20 patients under the dim light of the oil lamps in the past 10 days. “It is difficult to look after pregnant women with the help of an oil lamp. Treatment of others is also not easy under the light of the oil lamp. However, we need to find a way until electricity comes back. 

It would have been better if there were solar-powered lambs in the health post,” said Rokaya. Meanwhile, it is not the problem of Dandafaya Health Post alone. 

The suspension of electricity production in Hildum Micro Hydropower Project has left seven other health posts across Simkot and Kharpunath Rural Municipalities of Humla district in darkness.

Officials informed that resuming electricity production in the hydropower was uncertain.