Even pain relief requires a day's walk for locals of Majiune

Bungal Correspondent, Nov 27: Although basic healthcare is a fundamental right of citizens, some remote villages in Bajhang are still deprived of basic healthcare facilities.

Locals of Majiune under Bungal Municipality-2, located south of the district headquarters Chainpur, are forced to walk for a day even to get regular Citalmol (Paracetamol). They have been rushing to the health post Girau of Bungal -2 for a long time.

It takes at least five hours for a healthy person to reach the health post from Majiune. It often takes an entire day for a sick person to reach the hospital. Local Dev Dhami recounted his pain. 

Since there are no stretchers in the village, patients have to be carried on a woven bamboo basket to the health post.

He said that due to lack of access to health services, they have to rely on traditional healers for even common ailments. Currently, about 30 families from the Dhami community live in Majiune.

"It takes about five hours to reach the nearest settlement, so if a patient has to be carried, the entire village is evacuated. Up to 20-25 people have to walk together to carry a patient," said local Arjun Dhami.

Some are compelled to keep the sick at home due to a lack of people carrying for patients. 

Local Puspa Devi Dhami said that women are facing more problems due to the lack of maternity services and vaccination centers in the village.

 “There is no stretcher to carry them, even when they are in labor pain. They have to be rushed in a woven bamboo basket. Sometimes there is no one to carry them. Some give birth on the way, some die," She said. 

She said that both the mother and the newborn are at risk because they have to walk a long distance to get vaccinated after giving birth.

Another local, Maina Dhami, said that many children are still deprived of regular vaccination services because it takes a whole day to reach the vaccination center.

"Those who understand the importance of vaccination go and get vaccinated even if it's on foot, but many people don't get vaccinated because of thinking about what good it will bring.

She said that if there were a vaccination center in the village, not a single child would be deprived of vaccination.

Local Nanda Dhami said that due to the distance to the health post, many people lose their lives due to not receiving treatment immediately after falling ill and being forced to carry them only when they become sick.

She said that there is a residence of around 300 people in Majiune. 

One has to be on foot for more than four hours to reach the health post from these villages. Even after repeated attempts to reach out to the Municipality and district level bodies to solve the dire issue, it has fallen on deaf ears. 

During elections, party leaders come and go, saying that all problems will be solved, but they complain that they do not return after winning the election.

One has to walk for a day, even to go to the polling station to vote from Majiune.

Meanwhile, Ward Chairof Bungal Municipality-2, Bire Dhami, said that he understands the problem well as he is also a local of the same area.

Ward chair Dhami said that establishing a health post in the village is not immediately possible due to the small population and high cost.