Himalayan Healthcare for 5000: Save Lives in Nepal

We are sharing you a story of Durga (pseudonym), a 23-year-old woman from a rural village, in Gorkha district, Gandaki province in Nepal, her newborn baby and herself are now in a good health after skilled delivery service, proper primary care provided by PHASE staff and timely referral to higher center. Durga lives with her family of seven members, whose main source of income is subsistence farming. Being far from district and province headquarter and bigger towns, access to basic cervices inlcuding health care services is limited. With the support of PHASE worldwide, UK and generous support from various partners and individuals, PHASE Nepal, has been supporting the local government in improving primary health care services in this village for more than 10 years. 

On January 6, 2026, at around 2:00 AM, Durga arrived at the PHASE Clinic with labor pain. PHASE staff promptly assessed her condition by taking a detailed history, conducting a physical examination, and monitoring vital signs, which were all within normal range (BP: 100/70 mmHg, Temperature: 36°C, Pulse: 90/min, Respiration: 21/min). A per vaginal (PV) examination revealed 6 cm cervical dilation. The team closely monitored her labor progression and fetal condition every two hours, with fetal heart rate remaining stable at around 140 beats per minute. Alongside clinical monitoring, the staff also provided continuous emotional and psychological support to the mother.

At 6:00 AM, a repeat examination showed cervical dilation of 9 cm, and the fetal heart rate remained stable. However, abnormal uterine contractions were observed. The PHASE staff provided counselling to the mother and her family and advised supportive measures, including warm fluids and glucose water, while continuing close monitoring.

By 10:00 AM, Durga was fully dilated, but meconium-stained liquor and further abnormal contractions were noted, indicating fetal distress. An intravenous (IV) line was established, and IV fluids (5% Dextrose and Ringer’s Lactate) were administered. The family and health post in-charge were informed, and the team maintained intensive monitoring while preparing for potential complications.

As labor was prolonged, the fetal heart rate dropped to 100 beats per minute, indicating distress. The baby was delivered, but was not breathing at birth. PHASE health team immediately initiated neonatal resuscitation. After 15 minutes of continuous effort,  heartbeat was restored, and by 20 minutes the newborn showed gradual improvement with oxygen support.

The newborn and mother were closely monitored, gradual progress was observed however, PHASE health tem decided higher care of the newborn was essential. They  arranged transport and referred to a nearby high care center after providing essential medicine.  The referred hospital at Arughat after examination referred the newborn to Gorkha District Hospital, but this hospital also did not have capacity to treat the newborn. Finally they transferred to Kanti Children’s Hospital in Kathmandu for specialized pediatric care due to the severity of the condition.

After receiving appropriate treatment at higher centers, both mother and the baby recovered well in two weeks time and returned home in good health. We are glad to share you that both mother and child are in good health now, our health team are in regular contact with the family. 

The dedicated health workers' proper primary care, birth attandance and timely referral and care of the mother and newborn at specialized care centre saved life. 

As ususal, PHASE health staff regularly assessed Durga's pregnancy throughout her antenatal period. She completed all the eight, Nepal Government recommended Antenatal Care (ANC) visits  before her expected date of delivery (EDD) on January 6, 2026. During pregnancy, she adhered well to medical advice, regularly taking iron supplements, receiving the Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccine, and attending routine ultrasound (USG) check-ups as per Government of Nepal guidelines. Her pregnancy remained stable, with no major complications identified during ANC visits.

This is one story out of many in 11 PHASE supported clinics from different remote villages of Nepal where, PHASE health staff privide primary health care services, many of them life saming and critical through dedicated staff with updated skill in birth attandance, primacy health care and management of cases with timely referral in case of complications requiring treatment at higher center. 

Thank you veruy much for reading this report and your support to PHASE Nepal. Evey support/donation has significant value in providing health care services in remote commununities in Nepal. Thank you once again.

From Depression to Recovery: The Importance of Timely Interventions

With this report we bring you the story of Rajendra Bumi (pseudonym) is a 32-year-old father of five, living in the remote village of Bhee Bhitgaun in Mugu, Nepal. Life had never been easy for him and his family. Dependent primarily on sustenance farming, it was never enough to feed his family. He travelled to India to work as daily laborer to meet the needs of his family. With birth of twin boys, providing food and additional care to his family had been a constant challenge. When his wife struggled to produce enough breastmilk, his family had to rely on purchased buffalo milk to feed the infants.

In late August 2024, community members began noticing changes in Rajendra. He had stopped leaving his house. Concerned about his wellbeing, community members informed PHASE Nepal staff, Muna Sharma and Rita Jirel, who then promptly visited his house and encouraged his wife to bring him to the PHASE supported clinic for a check-up.

The next morning, Rajendra came to the health post, and the staff spent an hour taking a detailed history. During the consultation, the staff learned that for over a month, he has been experiencing concerning symptoms, including insomnia, poor appetite, low energy levels, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, and persistent anxiety. His vital signs indicated slightly low blood pressure (80/50 mmHg), and although other vitals were normal, his appearance were anything but normal. During the mental health evaluation, it became clear that Rajendra was struggling deeply. He sat quietly, avoiding eye contact, speaking only in a slow, subdued voice. Even his personal care had begun to suffer. These signs led the health staff to recognize the early signs of depression.

Initially, he was hesitant to speak. But with patience and reassurance, he eventually opened up about his worries, primarily a fear of not being able to provide for his family, especially after the arrival of the twin babies. He was haunted by thoughts of what would happen to his children if he were no longer there for them. These deep worries had begun to harm his mental and physical health.

Upon learning about his struggles, PHASE Nepal staff began psychosocial support. At the clinic Rajendra received orientation on preparing nutritious food out of grains available at his home. After a regular counselling session, four times a week including observation through home visit, Rajendra could sleep better, regained his appetite, and resumed daily activities in a month. Encouraged by his improvement, he eventually traveled to higher center at Jumla. Physicians at Karnali hospital at Jumla confirmed the diagnosis of depression and started him on appropriate medication. In about two months’ time, Rajendra fully recovered and resumed his daily life. Something that seemed impossible just few months ago had now become a reality, which was an encouraging sign that he had regained his strength and confidence.

 When the PHASE team revisited his home, his wife expressed deep gratitude. She said,

“He is fine now. Thank you, and thanks to PHASE Nepal that you came to our home at the right time. We were about to sacrifice a chicken and wait for the traditional healer. But because of your visit and proper counseling, my husband got the right treatment. Thank you for saving his life.”

Rajendra’s story is powerful reminder that mental health challenges exists everywhere, even in remote communities. In places like Mugu, mental illness is often seen as a spiritual or shamanistic problem rather than a health condition.

This story reflects how early detection of mental health issues and intervention with consistent follow-up can change lives in places like Mugu. Sometimes, all people need is a listener who knows when to act. This success was only possible because of the continued support that allows PHASE Nepal to reach hard-to-reach areas, where mental health services are limited but deeply needed. We are thankful to all our supporters who has made it possible for our team to do impactful work in the hard to reach areas of Nepal.

 PHASE Nepal has continued awareness session on mental health in the community it works with the aim of early detection of mental health cases by family members, relatives and neighbors.