A pregnant woman’s journey
When staying in Lalit’s village we were asked to see a pregnant woman who was unwell. She was 6 months pregnant, and appeared very unwell with abdominal pain and a fever. She was lucky to have lalit in the village that day; after examining her in her house in front of the elders, she was advised to urgently go to hospital as she hadn’t felt her baby move for a week.
The only way to hospital was by foot, and she was too ill to walk. We followed her journey, as she was carried in a chair on the backs of a porter and her husband – who took it in turns to carry her down and up sheer cliff faces.. It was 28 degrees and there were no water sources. It should have been a 5-6 hour walk for a fit person. They made it to hospital in 10 hours. It was truly inspirational, but a heart wrenching insight into what patients must endure to reach medical care here.
