Lack of road connectivity adds to woes of expectant mothers in far flung villages

Malkangiri: Expectant mothers in Odisha continue to suffer due to lack of road connectivity in several unreachable pockets of the State. Be it Chitrakonda of Malkangiri district or Umerkote of Nabarangpur district, women in labour pain are carried by their families on a sling or a cot for several kilometres to reach the  ambulance that are unable to make inroads to their villages due to bad roads.

An expectant mother of Sitipala village in Chitrakonda of Malkangiri district had to be carried in a sling for three kilometres by family members as the ambulance could not reach her door step. She was taken up to Ghagadabandha village where an ambulance was waiting for her.

In a similar incident, an ambulance refused to go to a woman of Nagajodi village under Umerkote block citing bad road conditions. Later the expectant mother delivered a baby boy with the help of local ASHA and Anganwadi workers.

"The husband of the woman Kruma Shanta informed an ambulance but the staff refused to reach the village citing poor road conditions," said sources.

Family members of the woman carried her on a cot for two kilometres apprehending any further deterioration in her health condition. She was later taken in an auto-rickshaw and admitted to the Kursi Primary Health Centre (PHC).