KATHMANDU: The government provided free emergency air rescue to 103 pregnant and postpartum women during the last fiscal year under the President Women Upliftment Programme, aimed at saving the lives of women facing serious obstetric complications in remote areas.
The Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Security carried out the rescues through the Nepal Army for women whose lives were at risk due to pregnancy or childbirth-related emergencies.
The ministry has implemented the Air Rescue Procedure, 2020 (2077 BS) to govern the programme. Under the procedure, eligible cases include prolonged labour lasting more than 18 hours, obstructed delivery caused by abnormal fetal presentation, failure to expel the placenta within 30 minutes after childbirth, intrauterine fetal death, severe swelling associated with pregnancy, excessive bleeding before or after delivery (APH and PPH), uterine rupture, suspected ectopic pregnancy, and other life-threatening obstetric complications requiring immediate medical intervention.
