The woman gave birth on the way; the newborn died before she could get to the ambulance
Highlights
- Jindamma, a mother of two, is in hospital after excessive bleeding
- The woman was eight-month pregnant
- She was carried 12 kilometres by her husband and others
A five-month pregnant woman in Andhra Pradesh was carried by her husband and other villagers downhill for 12 km through a forest so she could make it to an ambulance on Monday. 25-year-old Jindamma, who was suffering labour pains, gave birth on the way. Her baby boy died before she could get to the ambulance.
Visuals of Jindamma's traumatic journey to the nearest medical facility showed her husband carrying her in a "stretcher" crafted from a bamboo pole, sari and cane basket. A small group of villagers followed close behind, ready to take over carrying duties when Jindamma's husband was tired.
They were forced to stop when excruciating pain signalled Jindamma was in labour. Jindamma, a mother of two, is in hospital after excessive bleeding.
Tragically, this is not an uncommon incident in this tribal region in Vizianagaram, which is marked by rough terrain and hardly any roads.
Laxmisha, project officer for Integrated Tribal Development Authority, confirmed that the incident had taken place on Monday evening. "There is no road access. We were told by local health officials that an ambulance was waiting at the bottom of the hill, so the woman could be taken quickly to hospital," he told NDTV.
The National Human Rights Commission or NHRC has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Andhra Pradesh government, calling for a detailed report within four weeks.
NDTV has learnt that a Rs 40 lakh proposal for a 7.6 km stretch of road to connect 15 hamlets is yet to take off. The reason for the delay was that the road was to be machine-made and needed more investment.
"We have sanctions for 440 roads over 776 km long at a cost of Rs 219 crore in the Vizianagaram tribal area but this is pending because we need more funds for machine cutting," the officer explained.
The lack of roads and proper access to health care has been taken up emphatically by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, whose Jana Sena party plans to contest the national elections from this region. Pawan Kalyan has accused mainstream parties of ignoring basic infrastructure in remote parts of the state.