Tribals forced to wade through flooding stream carrying pregnant woman in Asifabad

Two tribals in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district carried a seven-month pregnant woman on a stretcher across a flooded stream to reach a health centre, underscoring the lack of basic healthcare access in remote villages. The viral video triggered criticism of the government’s failure to provide road and bridge facilities.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Two hapless tribals risked their lives by wading through a stream in spate carrying a pregnant woman on a stretcher highlighting their hardships in accessing healthcare at Kolamguda in Kerameri mandal on Wednesday. A video clip of the heart-wrenching incident went viral on social media platforms.

Two men managed to shift Kodapa Rameshwari, a seven-month pregnant woman to a nearby primary health centre after she fell ill. They were compelled to cross the stream which was in spate due to rains in upstream areas, disconnecting the hamlet from the mainstream.

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Their dangerous effort was captured by a youngster on his mobile phone. The clip was widely shared on WhatsApp groups and Facebook. The government came in for sharp criticism for its failure to improve healthcare facilities in tribal-dominated and remote villages in the district. They regretted that the lives of the tribals continued to struggle to access better medical services.

Meanwhile, locals of Kolamguda urged the officials to construct a bridge across the stream to end their woes. Without the bridge, they are forced to risk their lives to shift their family members to Kerameri and Asifabad during medical emergencies in every monsoon.

Tribal leaders said that carrying pregnant women on shoulders was a routine scene in interior villages across erstwhile Adilabad district following lack of road and bridge facilities to their habitations.