Shanti Bika
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Authors
Kishor Sharma
Issue Date
2017-05
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Health
Alternative Title
Abstract
Name: Shanti Bika, midwife, 45 from Mana Shanti works has received some training from the government on midwifery. She helps all the women in the village when they are pregnant and gives advice on other issues. When women in the village go into labour she accompanies them to the health medical post. She has helped women give birth on the trail on numerous occasions when they haven’t got to the hospital in time. She also told us that many women cause themselves huge amounts of damage during pregnancy and afterwards by carrying heavy loads up steep paths. She told us that one of the most common problems she comes across amongst women who have had children is a prolapsed uterus. This is common amongst women who have given birth and who then carry very heavy loads up hills. The force they exert on their body causes the uterus to fall out. If untreated it can cause cancer. The treatment is a hysterectomy (I think) which means the woman can face some stigma and problems at home. “Pregnant women here are carried in a basket down the trail when they go into labour. If it is available, we use a stretcher, but often it is not here. They are usually very scared. “Often we don’t get to the hospital in time and the woman gives birth on the trail. When that happens I have to sit with them and keep them calm and then cut the cord and then take them to the hospital. “I just focus on how to save the child and the mother because that is the most important thing. “I worry that if something goes wrong the family will blame me. So far, nobody has died and nothing terrible has happened. “If the husband is there then generally they carry their wife but if not then often there are women carrying them down. Sometimes people trip and stumble. Everyone is worried about what might happen and very careful. “When women carry heavy loads when pregnant they get terrible pains across their stomach and in their back and hips. “After we have given birth when we carry heavy loads we feel a lot of pain in our lower stomach area. It is almost like having appendicitis. “Many are suffering from the same condition. (prolapsed uterus). When they pick up heavy weight their insides come out. It is very serious and can cause serious consequences, like infection and people can die. They need an operation to help them. But they can’t have any more children afterwards. It is very very common in this region. “Unfortunately most of the men have to work in India when they have children so we women have no choice. “Women have many responsibilities. For example, I have to do the household chores, cooking, farming and carrying loads. It is very heavy work and we don’t get enough nutritious food to sustain us. “Here the GGR has helped because we no longer have to carry our rice up from the market. We have also had training about better diets and farming. This are getting better here, but it is still much to do.”
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