Pregnant woman carried on cot for 2km due to lack of motorable road

In a distressing incident, a pregnant woman was carried on a cot for over two kilometres to reach an ambulance after it got stuck due to the absence of a motorable road at Merkatar village under Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi district on Sunday.

According to reports, Ragni Majhi, a resident of Merkatar, went into labour, prompting her family to call for an ambulance. However, due to poor road connectivity, the vehicle could not reach the village and stopped about two kilometres away.

With no alternative, villagers and family members carried the expectant mother on a cot through rough, hilly terrain to reach the waiting ambulance, which later transported her to the nearest healthcare facility.

The incident has once again brought to light the dire state of road infrastructure in remote parts of Kalahandi, which continues to hinder access to essential healthcare, especially for pregnant women and the elderly.

Also Read: Pregnant woman carried on cot, gives birth before reaching ambulance

This is not an isolated case. In August this year, a similar incident was reported from Sargipani village under Amapani panchayat in Koksara block, where another pregnant woman had to be carried on a cot through a forest path after the ambulance failed to reach her. Tragically, she delivered her baby en route before being taken to the Koksara Community Health Centre.

Such recurring incidents highlight the urgent need for improved road connectivity and emergency medical infrastructure in the inaccessible villages of the district. Despite repeated appeals from residents, little progress appears to have been made so far.