Keonjhar: Despite tall claims of Odisha government pertaining to its efforts to take healthcare and welfare to the people, the reality paints a different picture. Poor road connectivity continues to be a common concern across the state denying people access to emergency services.
A recent case of poor road connectivity putting the lives of people at risk was reported Tuesday from Upar Raduan village under Bansalpal block in Keonjhar district where a Juang tribal woman patient had to be transported in a basket halfway to the hospital where the ambulance stayed in wait.
While the family of the woman called up an ambulance, it got stuck midway while on its way to Upar Raduan. With no other option left, the family members and the villagers placed the patient in a basket and walked through the muddy and uneven road to reach the vehicle.
This village is located only about 20 kilometres away from the Keonjhar town where tribals mostly – Juang and Mundas live.
While the villagers have lodged a number of complaints with the district administration and political representatives demanding all-weather road connectivity to their village, nothing has worked as yet.
That said, people being carried in baskets on wooden cots for kilometres on end in precarious health conditions is nothing new here. In fact, more or less, this is the practice – since the ambulances are not able to navigate thorough non-existent roads to reach the remote villages most of the times.
A number of lives have been lost on their way since patients were not able to reach the hospital on time, local jungle protection committee chief Prana Ballabha Ghana claimed.
Road connectivity apart, phone connectivity is also a major concern among the villagers as phone signals play hide and seek with them round the clock.
PNN
