An ailing woman and her newborn baby had to be carried in a big wicker basket tied to a bamboo for over six kilometres by the kin to reach the nearest motorable road for an ambulance in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh, the family members said on August 26.
Officials said it was not possible for an ambulance to reach the village as the area is surrounded by dense forests and rough terrain. They said that during the monsoon, small rivulets flow on the route, making it difficult for vehicles to cross them.
Taking cognisance of the incident that happened on August 24, the district administration said it has decided to construct roads in the area soon under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme.
Surajpur is located around 350 km away from capital Raipur.
The woman, identified as Ramdasiya (22), a native of Baijanpath village in Odgi development block of the district, had given birth to a baby early this month and since then she was unwell, her family members said.
“On Monday her condition deteriorated, following which we informed the local health centre and placed Ramdasiya and the infant in a basket and hung it from a bamboo. Two persons held the bamboo stick from both the ends and walked up to the ambulance that was parked in Khohir village,” her husband Krishna Prasad Yadav said.
The two were admitted at Biharpur community health centre, he said.
Talking to PTI, Surajpur Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Ransai Singh said that on getting information about the ailing woman, a team of Biharpur community health centre, including a doctor, immediately reached Khohir, the nearest village to Baijanpath where ambulances can reach.
The villagers had to walk for about six kilometres to bring the woman and the child to the nearest motorable road, from where they were shifted to the community health centre in the ambulance, Dr. Singh said, adding that both- the mother and the child- are stable.
Mr. Yadav and other villagers have demanded construction of roads in their area citing difficulties faced by them, especially during the monsoon season.
Meanwhile Surajpur Collector Ranbir Sharma said the district administration will soon sanction roads to connect villages in the area under the MNREGA scheme.
“There are around 15 villages in Odgi block, bordering with Madhya Pradesh, which do not have motorable connectivity. I have discussed the issue with the Public Works Department and other concerned departments on Tuesday and have decided to construct roads in the area under the MNREGA,” Mr. Sharma told PTI.
“I will visit Baijanpath village in the next two-three days and take further action accordingly,” he said.
