Ambika Panthi from Siluwa Majhakot, Purba Khola Rural Municipality-1, Palpa, is a women's health volunteer.

Living with her two sons and husband, she has been performing her role as a volunteer in the morning and evening after finishing her household chores. After finishing her household chores, she goes to the villages and collects health-related information. ‘Even though the name of a volunteer is “volunteer,” she said, ‘there is a lot of work to do,” she said. ‘There is a lot of work to do, including collecting information about pregnant women/delivery women, reminding them about their children’s vaccinations, and providing information about family planning methods.’

Women’s health volunteers always complain that they do not receive any remuneration except for transportation expenses, annual clothing expenses, and lunch expenses during vaccination programs.

Volunteer Panthi said that they are the carriers of basic health services in remote villages. She claims that maternal and child health has improved due to the volunteers’ consultations and the information they collect, and that the state’s health-related messages have been disseminated and promoted to remote settlements.

Panthi, who has been working as a volunteer for 13 years, said, ‘I have to reach out to the same person at least five times. I have to have regular meetings in the village and occasionally reach the ward and municipality,’ ‘I have not received the service facilities according to the work.’  

Yamakumari Dhenga of Purbakhola Rural Municipality-4, Devinagar, has been a women's health volunteer for 12 years. She said that she is helping to expand the government's vaccination program, strengthen maternal and newborn health, and keep the community safe in health emergencies. ‘I don't know whether the contribution made by the volunteers is appreciated or not,’ she said, ‘It seems that each volunteer's service, dedication, and dedication are constantly working for the health of the community.’

Dhenga Magar, who has been a volunteer since 2070 BS, is also responsible for household chores as well as educating her children. She said that she should send pregnant women to health institutions as per the schedule and inquire about those who are pregnant on time. Dhenga Magar, who has also been administering vitamins and deworming medicine to five-year-olds, said, "We should not only go to the villages, but also hold meetings of health mothers' groups," she said. "We have to make a schedule from early morning to late evening." According to her, mothers should also be given awareness programs about health and hygiene.  

The government started the Community Women's Health Volunteer Program 37 years ago with the aim of promoting rural health. The impact of the program has enabled access to basic health services in remote and rural areas.

Mohan Dhakal, head of the Purba Khola Rural Municipality Health Branch, said that women's health volunteers have made a significant contribution to the health sector. According to him, this program, which the government started with the aim of providing access to health for everyone, has recently made basic health services easier in villages. It has had a greater impact in remote areas due to the volunteers in the district. ‘They have provided services like health workers for remote villages,’ he said, ‘The main credit for the improvement in the health of mothers and children, the golden thousand-day mothers, goes to women’s health volunteers.’  

Women’s health volunteers have been working in curative and promotional health services to provide services to mothers and children in rural areas. Anisa Magar, a women’s health volunteer from Mityal Amdanda, Nisdi Rural Municipality-4, said that the volunteers go to villages and work to raise public awareness about health. According to her, the volunteers’ responsibilities include work related to the health of mothers of the thousand-day period, safe motherhood, prenatal check-ups, counseling women, and distribution of family planning tools. 

Women’s health volunteers will be put on the job after receiving 10 days of basic training and will be given refresher training every four years, said Rem Bahadur Disha Magar, head of the health branch of Nisdi Rural Municipality.  

Their service facilities include transportation expenses of Rs 12,000 per year and clothing allowance of Rs 10,000 per year. In addition, they receive a daily transportation allowance of Rs 400 during each campaign. Some municipalities have also provided mobile sets, monthly recharges, and transportation expenses to submit reports to the municipality. Disha Magar, head of the health branch of NISDI, said that transportation expenses are also provided for campaigns such as the Vitamin 'A' program and HPV vaccination.

Volunteers retire at the age of 60. Some municipalities have also provided facilities for those who want to retire by giving additional money after serving for 10 years. They are given a respectful farewell upon retirement and the federal government provides Rs 20,000.

The Lumbini provincial government also provides Rs 50,000. Similarly, the local government gives farewell by providing different service facilities. According to Dhakal, head of the health branch of Purbakhola Rural Municipality, Rs 25,000 is given to those who want to leave after serving for 10 years. The local government provides different facilities during retirement. Some even provide up to Rs 100,000 more.  

Acting Chief of Health Office Palpa, Tuk Prasad Pokharel, said that only capacity development training, orientation and other programs for health volunteers have been conducted from his office.

He said that the Women Community Health Volunteer Program was launched with the aim of extending primary health services to the community level. ‘The role of volunteers in empowering rural women through education and skills is significant,’ said Acting Chief Pokharel. ‘It has helped in increasing public health awareness in rural areas and involving local organizations in health promotion. There has been improvement in women’s and children’s health in particular.’