Malkangiri, Jul 18: A pregnant woman was carried nearly 5 kilometres on a makeshift cot after an ambulance failed to reach her remote village due to the absence of a motorable road, exposing the persistent infrastructure gaps in Odisha's tribal hinterland.

According to a source, the incident took place in Jharaguda village under Parkanamala gram panchayat in Khairput block of Malkangiri district.

Ambulance Stranded On Village Outskirts
The woman, Padma Golari, wife of Damburu Golari, went into labour at her home on Saturday. Her family immediately contacted Janani Express -- the emergency medical transportation service designed to help pregnant women and sick infants.

However, the ambulance could not enter the village as there was no proper road connectivity. It remained stranded about 5 km away near Doraguda village, forcing the family to find an alternative way to transport the expectant mother.

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Ambulance Driver Joins Family In Carrying Woman
With no other option available, family members tied a cot to bamboo poles to create a makeshift stretcher. In a gesture that drew praise, ambulance driver Badal Muduli joined the relatives and helped carry the woman across the uneven terrain for nearly 5 kilometres to reach the waiting ambulance.

The arduous journey through the rough route ensured the woman could finally be shifted for medical treatment.

Woman Admitted to Khairput CHC
After reaching the ambulance, Padma Golari was taken to the Khairput Community Health Centre, where she was admitted for treatment. She is currently under medical care.

Incident Highlights Rural Connectivity Challenges
The incident has once again highlighted the lack of all-weather road connectivity in several remote villages of Malkangiri, where medical emergencies continue to become life-threatening due to inaccessible terrain and inadequate infrastructure. While the ambulance driver's timely intervention helped the family, the episode has renewed concerns over the need to improve road access in the district's interior areas.