Rebuilding a health post, rebuilding health

Narmaya, 72, finished her morning household chores quickly and rushed to witness the handover of the newly-constructed health post building. She was not going to miss the official opening of the new health post which would remove the difficulties she had in getting to the city hospital, for even minor treatments.

“We had to walk hours to reach the hospital in Gorkhabazaar (the nearby city) as the health post here lacked adequate facilities and medicines."

The new building has better facilities such as a birthing center, more equipment, solar power backup, adequate water, and a toilet.

"Now we don't need to reach the city for simple illnesses," Nirmaya says enthusiastically.

The devastating earthquake of 25th April destroyed the old health post, after which, somehow ran from a small temporary space.

With the Village Development Committee's budget, construction of the new building was started, but it halted halfway through when the funds ran out. World Vision then took responsibility of completing the building, as well as furnishing it. 

Ram Lal, 40, has worked as a health post in-charge for the past 16 years, and receiving this new health post is an auspicious moment for him.

"This building is like a palace for us."

"World Vision also provided different medical equipment including beds and delivery equipment."

He is optimistic that the communities it serves will benefit from this properly constructed health post. However, Ram Lal also admits that the medicines provided by the District Health Office are still not sufficient to meet people’s requirements.

"If we can provide more types of medicine from this health post, we can serve our community better". 

To mark the building handover, stretchers were also distributed to 26 Female Community Heath Volunteers (FCHV).

Prem Kumari, one of the FCHVs, says that the stretcher will now make it easier to take patients to the health post or hospital.

"Before we used to make temporary stretchers using logs and clothing to carry patients."

Addressing the community at the handover, Binay Prakash Baral, OIC Manager for Gorkha District Office - Nepal Earthquake Response said, "Regular checkups for pregnant mothers, as well as delivery, can be much safer with the beginning of this health post."

Access to proper health facilities is one of the biggest challenges in the remote villages of Nepal. Construction of the Health Post in Gaikhur VDC in Gorkha, was one attempt by World Vision to provide a robust health service to the communities there while seeking to fulfill the slogan, Build Back Better.

By Ankush Chalise, Communication Officer- Nepal Earthquake Response