It’s annual baby boom season at Nepal’s maternity hospitals

Nepal's maternity hospitals are in the midst of their busiest season, with birth rates more than doubling the usual daily figures. The Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital in Thapathali reported 142 normal deliveries and 42 cesarean sections on a single Tuesday, followed by 102 normal and 28 cesarean deliveries the next day.

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Come to our hospital to see the patient flow.

Doctors and health workers refer to this period, from mid-June to mid-September, as the "delivery season." The surge in pregnant women seeking services has led to all hospital beds being occupied. In response, the hospital administration is accommodating two new mothers in a single bed, a measure taken to ensure no woman in labor is turned away.

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We can’t turn away women who are in labour. Adjusting two patients in a single bed is not our choice, but an initiative we have taken to save the lives of new mothers and their babies.

"We can't turn away women who are in labour," said Dr. Shree Prasad Adhikari, director at the hospital. "Adjusting two patients in a single bed is not our choice, but an initiative we have taken to save the lives of new mothers and their babies." The hospital has also established a separate observation ward to manage the growing number of patients, with some women in early labor sharing beds until they are ready to deliver.

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Women in early stages of labour or those who are not yet ready to deliver, sometimes have to share a bed. Once labour progresses and they are ready to give birth, they are moved to the delivery room.

This trend is not confined to the capital. Hospitals in districts across Nepal are also witnessing a significant rise in deliveries. At Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan, the number of daily deliveries has increased from around 25 to over 40, straining bed capacity. Healthcare professionals anticipate these high numbers to continue until October, linking the seasonal increase to Nepal's main wedding season, which typically occurs in the winter months.

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Normally, around 25 women used to seek delivery services in our hospital a day. These days the number has risen to more than 40. We have been struggling to manage the beds.