Andhra Pradesh: 20-year-old tribal pregnant woman dies before reaching hospital in makeshift stretcher due to poor road conditions
June 23,2023 : The families of the village, fed up of the government inaction, contributed Rs 6 lakh of their own money and laid a road covering eight kilometres. But the newly-laid road developed cracks and potholes due to heavy rain.
A 20-year-old tribal pregnant woman died while being carried on a makeshift stretcher from Kumburla village in Alluri Sitharamaraju district of Andhra Pradesh to a primary healthcare centre (PHC) on Tuesday
Roja’s husband Pangi Chanti expressed his anguish and said that it is very unfair that Adivasi children and women die due to lack of facilities in the village. “We complain and demand better facilities but there has been no response from the government. Will it be our fate always?” he asked.
Komburla village, a remote hamlet is nestled on the top of a hill and is home to 45 families. To get a transport facility, they have to trek down 8 kilometres on a treacherous road to reach the nearest village Arla.
The families of the village, fed of up government inaction, contributed Rs 6 lakh of their own money and laid a road covering eight kilometres but it was severely damaged due to heavy rains.
This is not the first such incident where a woman had to be carried in a makeshift stretcher to reach the nearest medical centre. In March 2023, a tribal pregnant woman had to be carried in a doli for 4 km from Rachakailam to Gummanti. From Gummanti, she was shifted to a hospital in an ambulance. The hospital asked the woman and her family to go to another hospital in Anakapalle and later she was moved to a hospital in Visakhapatnam.