Pregnant Woman Carried 7 Km on Stretcher in Odisha's Mayurbhanj After Ambulance Unable to Reach Her Village
A pregnant woman in labour was carried for nearly seven kilometres on an ambulance stretcher through rivers and streams after emergency responders found that no motorable road connected her remote village to the main road, officials said.
The incident took place in Anlakanta village under Dudhiani panchayat of Karanjia block in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, where Sumitra Shundhi, who was experiencing labour pains, needed to be taken to hospital for delivery care.
The 108 ambulance team reached the area but was unable to take the vehicle to the woman's location due to the loss of road connectivity, according to a report by ANI. With no other means of transporting her, the ambulance staff decided to carry her on the stretcher on foot.
The team — comprising ambulance driver Gopal Chandra Nayak, attendant Ankit Mohanta and Munuram Soren — carried the woman for around seven kilometres, negotiating difficult terrain and crossing rivers and streams along the way. After reaching a point accessible by road, the woman was placed in the ambulance and taken to Karanjia Hospital, where she was admitted for further medical care, ANI reported.
Official Response
Mayurbhanj Additional District Magistrate Netrananda Mallick said the administration had received information about the incident and would first ascertain which department was responsible for the road before taking further action, ANI reported.
"I got this information now. In this context, we will discuss with the Medical Officer and the BDO or the Rural Development Department. First, we have to know which department the road belongs to," Mallick said in a statement carried by ANI.
He said the administration would take up the matter with the District Collector and examine the connectivity situation in the area. "The government is giving top priority to the basic needs of the people, particularly health, education, road connectivity and water facilities," the ADM said, as quoted by ANI.
Broader Implications
The incident has highlighted the difficulties faced by residents of remote parts of Mayurbhanj in accessing emergency healthcare, particularly pregnant women who require timely transportation to medical facilities. It has also raised questions about last-mile road connectivity in remote areas, a recurring concern for residents who must navigate difficult terrain to reach essential services.