Saptari childbirth on street outside hospital raises questions over Nepal’s free maternity care

A woman giving birth on a pavement outside a government hospital after her husband could not afford Rs3,200 in tests exposes the gap between Nepal’s free maternity care and access to emergency healthcare.

A woman delivering a baby on a pavement outside a government hospital in Rajbiraj, eastern Tarai, has raised serious questions about whether Nepal’s free maternity-care system is actually reaching the poorest when they need it most.