BERHAMPUR: A stark illustration of inadequate road infrastructure and healthcare access in Odisha’s remote tribal regions emerged when a 35-year-old pregnant woman was carried for almost 5 kilometers in a sling to reach an ambulance in Kashipur block, Rayagada district. She ultimately delivered a stillborn baby at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Rayagada.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the village of Malipadar, which is part of the Sunger gram panchayat in the Sijimali area. Suku Majhi, the wife of Arjun Majhi, went into labor, prompting an ASHA worker to summon an ambulance. However, due to the absence of a motorable road leading to Malipadar, the ambulance could only reach a spot near Aliguna village. Consequently, her relatives carried her using a cloth sling through the challenging hilly landscape to access the ambulance.
Deepak Gopal, the ambulance driver, aided in transferring the woman, who was first taken to the nearby Sunger primary health center. Unfortunately, there was no doctor available there, so she was redirected to the community health center in Kashipur. Due to her critical condition, she was then moved to the DHH in Rayagada, where she delivered a stillborn infant.
“Suku is under treatment at the DHH and is stable,” stated Dr. Biswambar Behera, the chief district medical officer of Rayagada. He added that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s transport has been initiated.
This incident marks the second such case within a week. On October 21, another pregnant woman from Kashipur block was carried on a stretcher for nearly a kilometer over difficult terrain after an ambulance was unable to reach her village due to the lack of accessible roads.
The earlier case was reported from Goudasahi in Sarambai village, also under the Shunger panchayat. Bimala Gouda, wife of Sunadhar Gouda, went into labor on Tuesday, leading her family to call the 108 emergency ambulance service.
However, the ambulance could not make it to her location. Before emergency medical technicians arrived on foot with a stretcher, Bimala gave birth at home. After the delivery, both she and the newborn required immediate medical assistance.
Displaying remarkable determination, the ambulance crew, along with family members, managed to carry both mother and child on a stretcher along the perilous, unpaved path to reach the waiting vehicle.
Both the mother and baby were admitted to Kashipur hospital and later released.
