Vishakhapatnam: Pregnant woman in Labour carried on makeshift stretcher for 12km

A pregnant woman in labour pain was carried on a makeshift stretcher for 12km from her village to the nearest hospital at Balpam panchayat on Wednesday in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

22-year-old Kusanagi Chendramma, of Tokapaadu village, moved on ‘Doli’ (a makeshift palanquin) in labour pain due to lack of roads. The villagers prepared the palanquin on an urgent basis for the pregnant woman and carried her to the Lothugedda Primary Health Center of Chintappalli Mandal, under Balpam Panchayat. The health care was 12 kilometres away from the high hills.

On their journey from the woman’s village to the nearest hospital, Chendramma was carried through a forest for a long time.

Tokapaadu village is located in between hills, due to which there was no road connectivity to the village. Hence, the 22-year-old was moved on a makeshift stretcher to reach the destination.

As per reports, the locals and tribals of the village have urged the Government for road facilities and road connectivity multiple times for the village to the hospital, so that they get access to health facilities without witnessing any such hardships, especially in emergencies. The villagers have also requested the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) officials for road connectivity.

The tribals are suffering from poor road connectivity for a long time now. As per the reports of 2016, three tribals drowned at Hukumpeta Mandal of the district's agency road while crossing a stream. Many tribals suffer lack of motorable roads and the situation now has turned into a tragic one in case of serious health conditions faced by the tribals. As per the reports of 2016, out of 3.636 habitats in the Vizag agency, 1,087 do not have access to proper road connectivity. Pregnant women in tribal villages are mostly the victims of the problem.

As per a report on February 15th, 2021 the ghat roads of Visakhapatnam are turning into death traps for motor users and other road users in the agency areas of the district. Over 70 people have died and more than 130 were injured in the district's agency mandals since January 2020.

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