Pregnant woman carried on cot for a kilometre in Odisha due to lack of road access

In a stark reminder of Odisha’s continuing rural healthcare and infrastructure gaps, a pregnant woman in Dasapalla block of Nayagarh district was carried on a cot for nearly one kilometre after an ambulance reportedly failed to reach her home due to the absence of a motorable road.

Sources reported that the incident took place in Gobara Sahi of Kalaskhamana Nuagaon, where Pratima Jani, a resident and expectant mother, went into labour on Wednesday.

Her husband, Krushna Chandra Jani, immediately contacted the ambulance service. However, due to the lack of an accessible road to their village, the ambulance was unable to approach her house.

Left with no alternative, the family members and local residents crafted a makeshift bamboo stretcher and carried Pratima for approximately one kilometre through rugged terrain until they reached the nearest point where the ambulance was parked.

Admitted to Hospital After Painful Journey

Upon reaching the ambulance, she was immediately transported to the Bhanjanagar Community Health Centre, where she underwent a successful delivery. Both mother and child are reported to be in good health, according to family sources.

The incident, however, highlights a recurring challenge in many rural parts of Odisha, where healthcare delivery is often hampered by inadequate road connectivity. A report from last year highlighted how a patient had to be carried from under a parked goods train, again due to a lack of a motorable road to his village.

Meanwhile, the family expressed relief over the safe delivery, they also voiced frustration over the lack of basic road access, urging the district administration to address this long-standing issue, added reports.