Heart-stricken children in Bajhang delaying treatment due to poverty

Eight students of Balmandir Basic School were diagnosed with heart conditions, with some requiring immediate surgery, but their guardians plan to start treatment once they have raised enough funds.

Rakesh Bohara, aged 15, is a seventh grader at the Chainpur-based Balmandir Basic School. Rakesh, a permanent resident of Dogadi village in ward 2 of Surma Rural Municipality, suffers from severe chest pain when walking uphill. “It feels like a needle stabbing my heart when I run or carry heavy things. I feel pain in the left side of my chest even while walking briskly,” said Rakesh who lives in a rented room in Chainpur, the district headquarter of Bajhang.