Lack of road forces villagers in Odisha to carry pregnant woman on stretcher for 2km to ambulance

In a stark reminder of infrastructural hurdles in Odisha’s rural remote villages, a pregnant woman had to be carried on a stretcher for 2km after an ambulance failed to reach the village owing to the absence of a proper road. 

The heart-wrenching incident has been reported from Pardema village under Badeguda panchayat of Mohana block in Gajapati district.

Lakshmi Mallick, an expectant mother on Tuesday experienced labor pain following which the village’s ASHA worker contacted 108 emergency ambulance services. However, the ambulance was unable to traverse beyond the Badeguda Panchayat office due to a lack of access road.

With no other option left, the ambulance staff along with the ASHA worker and local villagers carried the expectant mother over a two-kilometre stretch of rugged terrain using a makeshift stretcher to the ambulance. After reaching the ambulance, Mallick was subsequently taken to Adava Medical Centre for necessary medical attention.

Fortunately, Lakshmi successfully delivered a healthy baby boy following the arduous journey. The incident has spotlighted the pressing need for infrastructure development in rural Odisha, where road accessibility remains a significant challenge.

Locals urged the Gajapati district administration to address these infrastructural gaps, which impede prompt medical access and delivery of essential services.