Khairaput: In a heart wrenching incident, family members of a minor school girl were forced to carry her on a cot for six kilometer to reach a hospital after she sustained critical burn injuries while sitting around a bonfire due to the cold wave.
Lack of road connectivity to the village deprived the girl of proper treatment that led to worsening of her health. The incident was reported from tribal-dominated interior Dabajodi village under this block in Malkangiri district.
The victim was identified as Kabita Chinam, daughter of Chandra Chinam. The incident spread tension in the village as irate locals condemned the attitude of the local administration over lack of a proper road.
Although the government had been implementing various schemes to develop road connectivity, nothing has worked for the benefits of rural people.
According to sources, Kabita was a student of Malaguda Primary School. As usual she woke up in the morning and got ready for school. Due to excess cold, she sat around a bonfire to warm herself. Meanwhile, due to carelessness, fire caught her dress and she sustained critical burn injuries.
On hearing her screams, family members rescued her in critical condition. Instead of taking her to a hospital, they applied cow dung to the burnt parts. This worsened Kabita’s condition and she became unconscious.
Family members failed to shift her to a hospital due to inaccessible road conditions. Later, locals came to their rescue and shouldered the girl on a cot and walked six kilometer all the way to the local hospital.
The girl was under treatment while this report was files. Locals have sought the intervention of the administration to address the lack of road connectivity to the village which has become an obstruction for providing healthcare to locals. PNN