Gujarat: There was no road in the tribal village, a pregnant woman died on a cloth stretcher during delivery
The tribal community laid the woman in labour on a cloth stretcher and walked five kilometres to reach the hospital as there was no proper road.
Published on: 02 Oct 2024, 2:05 pm
AHMEDABAD: When Kavita Bhil experienced labour pains in Turkheda, a tribal village in Kawant taluka of Chhota Udaipur district on Tuesday morning, her family and neighbours swung into action.
With no proper road to reach a hospital, they laid him on a cloth stretcher and walked five kilometres to the nearest place accessible by an ambulance.
However, after a kilometre on the rocky path, Kavitha gave birth to a baby girl and tragically died. Her body was taken back home on the same makeshift stretcher for cremation.
Kavita’s death has left her husband Kishan Bhil, a farmer, devastated and the entire village in mourning. She leaves behind three children, including a newborn, whose condition is said to be critical.
“We have been pleading with the government for years to build a road to our village, but nothing has happened. We have no healthcare, and even electricity is not reliable. We feel we have been forgotten,” lamented Jamsingh Rathwa, a relative.
This is not the first such incident in Baskaria Falia, a remote hamlet near the Narmada river. Villagers say three other women have suffered similar fates in recent years due to a lack of accessible medical care.
Another villager, Nagin Rathwa, said, “The administration issued a tender five years ago to build a seven-km road, but only three kilometres have been completed. We are forced to carry patients on cloth stretchers in dangerous areas. This latest incident has shaken us to our core.”
Reacting to the incident, BJP MP Jashu Rathwa expressed grief, and lamented the challenges of road construction in inaccessible areas, saying, “The state government aims to build roads everywhere, but areas like Turkkheda pose unique challenges due to their hilly terrain. However, I have been told that the tender for the remaining road will be floated soon.”
District Development Officer in-charge of Chhota Udepur SD Goklani confirmed that a proposal for the road has been approved. “The construction of the seven-km-long road is expected to begin soon at a cost of Rs 11 crore,” he said.
However, for the villagers of Turkkheda, these promises have come too late for Kavita and her family. They hope the road will finally be built before more lives are lost.
