Power shortages cripple healthcare in remote Karnali districts

Thirteen local units in the province are without power, forcing medics to rely on torchlight for treatment after dark.

At the Jaira Health Post in ward 1 of Sarkegad Rural Municipality, Humla, Auxiliary Nurse Worker Ramdevi Rawat has assisted in delivering around 80 babies over the past two years. Some of these deliveries were conducted at night, with attendants using a torchlight, as the health post lacked electricity. While a solar panel was installed two months ago, it has offered only limited relief. “The solar panel doesn’t work when there’s no sunlight,” Rawat said.