Villagers take serious patients on cot through the difficult terrain to reach the district hospital.
Every month, 16-year-old Kursam Suresh has to cycle 10 kilometres on a dirt track through a Naxal-infested area in Chhattisgarh to take his younger sister to the Bijapur district headquarter for treatment of her tuberculosis. In some cases, the serious patients are taken on a cot through the difficult terrain.
Due to the Naxal problem in the region, Mankeli Panchayat, the sub health centre has been constructed 10 kilometres away in Bijapur, which already has a district hospital. Built at a cost of over Rs 20 lakh, the sub health centre aimed at providing primary health care to the people of the four villages under the Mankeli village panchayat.
"We have difficulty taking patients to Bijapur, at times we carry them on cots and bicycles. Earlier, nurse used to visit us now they have also stopped, we have written to the administration about it," Kursam Suresh of Gorna village told NDTV.
Admitting that the Mankeli sub health centre is not that effective, Chief Medical Health Officer, Bijapur, Dr BL Pujari said, "During that time it was not possible to construct it there (Mankeli Panchayat) as there are no roads and it's a naxal area, a sensitive area."
"Yes the health centre 10 kilometres away from Mankeli is not benefiting the villagers directly. But we send mobile teams to the panchayat," Dr Pujari added.
However, the local villagers claim that a health worker in their village was seen almost a year ago.
The villagers with bicycle are lucky enough to own a mode of traveling at least, however, there are many families which have no other option but to walk to Bijapur to visit a doctor.