Road Connectivity / Pregnant Woman Carried 3 km on Stretcher, Locals Praise 108 Ambulance Staff

Koraput, Aug 13: A shocking incident highlighting poor road connectivity has emerged from Srigaamput village under Atanda Panchayat in Nandapur block of Koraput district.

Despite the presence of a road, its deplorable condition prevented a 108 ambulance from reaching the village during an emergency.

On Thursday morning around 5:30 AM, a call was made to the 108 ambulance service to transport 27-year-old pregnant woman Mani Khil to hospital. The ambulance set out but was forced to stop nearly three kilometres before the village due to the unusable road.

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Realizing the gravity of the situation, ambulance driver Gopal Krishna Nayak, pharmacist Rahul Pangi, and assistant Deepak Patra walked to the village on foot.

With the help of the woman’s husband Gangadhar Dora, family members, and ASHA worker Ichha Khara, Mani Khil was placed on a stretcher and carried for three kilometres to the stranded ambulance.

She was then safely transported to the Nandapur Community Health Centre. The humane effort of the 108 staff, who went beyond their duty to carry the patient on a stretcher, has drawn widespread praise from locals.

The incident, however, underscores the severe road problems in Nandapur block’s remote areas. During the monsoon season, roads in more than 100 villages become unusable, making it extremely difficult for ambulances and other emergency vehicles to reach patients.

This case has once again highlighted how poor infrastructure continues to endanger lives in Odisha’s tribal and hilly regions, where access to healthcare remains a major challenge.