Nipa Soren, Minoti Murmu and Silvia Mardy work at Sapmara UHFWC in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha to deliver modern reproductive healthcare to under privileged women and abolescents from backward communities. Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, March 26, 2025 (BSS) - Sapmara Union Health and Family Welfare Center (UHFWC) has set a unique example by providing reproductive health care and completing normal deliveries to 600 mothers from disadvantaged and backward ethnic communities.

The hard work, dedicated service, and social commitment of three young midwives from the Santal community have made it possible to successfully deliver modern reproductive healthcare to underprivileged women and adolescents from backward communities.

As a result, a revolutionary change has taken place in Gaibandha district and adjacent rural areas to ensure safe childbirth among the previously superstitious backward communities, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality to zero.

The three dedicated midwives are Nipa Soren, 29, and Minoti Murmu, 28, of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha and Silvia Mardy, 28, of Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat districts.

They are working at Sapmara UHFWC in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha and providing sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) to women, pregnant mothers and adolescents.

Beginning from July, 2020, the midwives have so far conducted 600 normal vaginal deliveries (NVD) of pregnant mothers, including 115 Santal mothers, alongside providing ANC to 7,268 pregnant mothers, including 730 Santal mothers there.

They have also provided PNC services to 1,317 mothers, including 258 Santal mothers.

Besides, they have referred 156 mothers including 48 Santal, to hospitals, counseled 7,241 women including 1,270 Santal, and given contraceptives to 1,634 mothers including 174 Santal mothers.

The midwives have also counseled 1,323 adolescents including 265 Santal, conducted health education for 5,356 women including 950 Santal, provided child care to 4,937, including 715 of the Santal community during the period.

 In addition, 277 women including 191 indigenous Santal, received laboratory test services at Sapmara UHFWC where a community mobilizing fund of Taka 11,14,876 has so far been accumulated.

Talking to BSS, the Santal midwives said they were inspired to choose midwifery as their profession from childhood after never seeing any trained birth attendants during deliveries of pregnant mothers in their superstition-gripped community.

Earlier, local traditional birth attendants used to perform deliveries of Santal mothers adopting various unsafe traditional methods that caused unbearable pain and casualties too.

The three girls somehow completed their schools when existing social customs discouraged them from attending colleges.

Minoti Murmu, Nipa Soren and Silvia Mardy completed the three-year midwifery diploma in 2019 at LAMB Nursing Institute at Parbatipur in Dinajpur with UNFPA support.

Later, they joined Sapmara UHFWC in 2020 under the UK government-funded 'Santal Health Project' implemented by LAMB with support from UNFPA and Directorate General of Family Planning to improve SRHR services among the Santal community.

Minoti told BSS that serving as a midwife in her own community has been a dream that comes true.

Earlier, the accustomed age of marriage for girls was ten to twelve in her community with a lot of adolescent pregnancies and pregnant women believed that they didn't need to have medical check-ups.

Midwife Nipa said, "After beginning to work at Sapmara UHFWC, we saw how attitudes of the Santal community people have begun to shift and improve. Every time a pregnant mother is satisfied with all services they receive," she said.

"In the community, we tell people that all services we provide to make women's lives better, safer and healthier are free, which encourages them to come to the UHFWC for safe deliveries, ANC and PNC services," said midwife Silvia.

Midwives Nipa and Silvia successfully conducted the 600th normal vaginal delivery of Nujaima Begum, 18, wife of Ranju of village Samara at Sapmara UHFWC on February 26 last at 9:10 am.

Nujaima delivered a healthy female baby weighing 2.255 kg.

"It was my first pregnancy. I got three-time checkups during my pregnancy. I am grateful to midwives Minoti, Nipa and Silvia for their selfless services, support and care extended to me like my own sisters," said Nujaima.

Santal mother Basonti Soren, 21, of village Simtajuri in Gobindaganj upazila expressed pleasure saying that she gave birth to her first baby, a son, at Sapmara UHWFC on January 6 this year through normal delivery.

Santal mother Sweety Mardy, 22, of nearby village Madarpur also expressed gratitude to the midwives at the UHFWC for extending assistance and taking maximum care in ensuring her safe second delivery in giving birth to a son on February 21 last.

"I also gave birth to my first son there through normal delivery on October 22, 2021," a happy Sweety told BSS and thanked the Sapmara UHFWC authority and three midwives for providing all-out services free of cost.

Project Manager Mahatab Liton said the social changemaker midwives are inspiring women of the Santal and local communities to avail SRHR, ANC and PNC and reproductive health services for safe deliveries to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths and achieve SDGs.