POKHARA: Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey has said that reducing maternal mortality and suicide rates is a top priority for the provincial government.
Speaking at a provincial-level interaction on gender justice organized by the National Women’s Commission in Pokhara on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pandey highlighted that Gandaki Province has a higher maternal mortality rate than other provinces.
To address this, he said the government is working to improve access to specialized health services and monitoring for pregnant and postpartum women.
“On average, one to three people commit suicide in Gandaki every day, of which 60 to 70 percent are women,” said Pandey. “We are conducting awareness and counseling programs at the community level in collaboration with the police to reduce this number.”
He also shared that emergency helicopter rescue services have been arranged for pregnant and postpartum women requiring urgent medical attention. The government is prioritizing investments in rural health infrastructure to ensure quality services reach remote areas.
On the issue of justice delivery, Pandey said the government is committed to strengthening local judicial committees.
“We have deployed legal facilitators to 65 of the 84 local levels, excluding Pokhara Metropolitan City, and the process is ongoing for the rest,” he said. “We are also providing capacity-building training to the heads and members of judicial committees through the Gandaki Provincial Training Institute.”
Despite legal measures, Pandey acknowledged that violence against women remains persistent. “Many cases go unreported,” he said. “All stakeholders must come together to safeguard women’s rights and end gender-based violence.”
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