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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Helicopter rescues offer lifeline to teenage mothers in Nepal’s remote hills

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Helicopter rescues provide critical medical support to teenage mothers in remote areas of Nepal facing childbirth complications.
  • Young mothers, some as young as 15, experienced severe bleeding and other risks, necessitating emergency evacuations.
  • These airlifts, coordinated by local authorities and the Nepali Army, offer a vital lifeline, saving both mothers and their newborns.

For 19-year-old Sushila Roka, a difficult labor turned into a life-threatening emergency. Doctors at the Rukum West district hospital informed her family that saving her twins was unlikely due to complications and delayed arrival. One twin was delivered without surgery, but Sushila suffered severe postpartum bleeding.

Forget about saving the baby. You did not bring her in on time, and we cannot save it.

— Nandakala RokaSushila Roka's sister-in-law, recalling the devastating news from doctors at the district hospital.

Her family's hope was rekindled when the District Administration Office recommended an emergency evacuation by a Nepali Army helicopter to the provincial hospital in Surkhet. This air rescue provided a crucial lifeline for Sushila and her newborns.

My daughter-in-law fainted while giving birth, perhaps because she was too young.

— Amrita BistaKaruna Bista's mother-in-law, describing the critical condition of her young daughter-in-law.

Similar crises have affected other young mothers. Fifteen-year-old Karuna Bista of Bajura lost consciousness during childbirth due to complications from early pregnancy and bleeding. Her newborn survived, but Karuna remained unconscious for two days before being airlifted for further treatment.

I was not thinking about how I would deliver the baby. I was constantly afraid that I might not survive.

— Nilima SherpaA 15-year-old mother, reflecting on the fear and lack of knowledge surrounding her high-risk pregnancy and delivery.

Another 15-year-old, Nilima Sherpa of Sankhuwasabha, also required a helicopter evacuation to Kathmandu after experiencing severe bleeding. Lacking knowledge about childbirth risks, she described her first experience with motherhood as terrifying but expressed gratitude for the timely rescue that saved her life and her baby's.

I never imagined a helicopter would come for the rescue and that all three lives would be saved.

— NandakalaExpressing relief and gratitude for the helicopter evacuation that saved Sushila Roka and her twins.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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