KOPPAL : A poor shepherd at Janajalakoppa village in Kushtagi taluk of Koppal district has found an ingenious way to ferry his 74-year-old mother to a health care facility.
Hanumavva Dasar is suffering from age-related arthritis and she has to visit the primary health centre (PHC) at Chalageri village in the taluk, located two-km away from their village, frequently for treatment.
Hanumavva has three sons and two of them live separately. Her third son Hanumappa Dasar (a shepherd) is looking after her. As he is illiterate, he finds no means but to take his mother to the PHC in a push-cart for want of adequate bus or other private vehicle services in the village.
“The village has a lone private maxi-cab, which is rarely available. Moreover, my mother is too old to take the bus service either,” Hanumappa told Express.
However, Narayana Goudageri, a North East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation official told Express on Saturday that Janjalakoopa village is 25-km away from Kushtagi and has daily bus service from Kushtagi twice and once from Hanumasagar in the taluk from past one year.
Meanwhile, Kushtagi taluk medical officer Anand Gotur pointed out that though Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) in the village could call an ambulance to take Hanumavva to the PHC, there is, however, no provision to ensure Hanumavva’s return to her home at Janjalakoppa village.
An elderly person in the village remarked that the government has to find solutions for such rare but difficult situations.