Nabarangpur/Jharigaon: Poor road connectivity in Nabarangpur district has not only taken the life of a pregnant woman, but also forced her relatives to carry her body on their shoulders for cremation as the state-sponsored Mahaprayan (hearse) service couldn’t be provided to the family.
Nile Majhi (25), wife of Jagamohan Majhi, of Khaliapani village under Jharigaon block was taken to a community health centre on a tractor but she died in 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Nile was first put up at Maa Gruha (a healthcare centre for pregnant women) to get free consultation, treatment and food. She stayed there from June 17 to July 2. However, Nile’s mother took her back home against the advice of Maa Gruha personnel.
Nile experienced labour pain Sunday night following which the family contacted 102-ambulance. Though the ambulance came and waited near Kebidi village, the pregnant woman couldn’t be taken to the place due to poor condition of the road.
A nullah exists between Kebidi and Khaliapani villages and the villagers had set up a makeshift bridge to cross the water body during rainy season. However, the bridge was washed away in heavy rains of last two days which prevented the ambulance from reaching Khaliapani.
Left with no option, the family members shifted Nile in a tractor covering her with polythene sheets. It took about three hours for the tractor to reach Jharigaon CHC at about 11 am as the road was in extremely bad shape. Though Dr Pankaj Kumar Bhal took up the case immediately, Nile died soon after arrival. The patient was suffering from high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, the doctor said.
Later, the hospital authorities arranged an ambulance since Mahaprayan vehicle couldn’t have reached the village. However, the ambulance couldn’t be started. The doctor and other hospital staff had to push it from behind before it took a start. The ambulance could go up to Kebidi village from where the villagers carried the body on their shoulders keeping it on a stretcher. They had to walk over three km to take it to cremation ground.
Though the villagers have been demanding a culvert and road over the years, the pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears of administration, it was learnt.
According to sources available with the district administration, there are no proper roads to 212 villages of the district and people manage things with the footpaths. PNN