VISAKHAPATNAM: A 22-year-old pregnant woman lost her life while being transported to a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) on a makeshift stretcher along the treacherous forest path in the hilltop village of Kumburla in Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Tuesday. Despite the valiant efforts of the villagers and ASHA worker Korra Shanti, Pangi Roja succumbed to delivery-related complications before reaching Davanur PHC.
Expressing anguish, Roja’s husband Chanti said, “It is very unfair that our Adivasi children die on the forest path due to lack of minimal facilities in the village. There has been no response from the government despite repeated complaints.”
With a population of 20,030, as many as 45 families reside in the remote hamlet. In 2020-21, each family in the village contributed Rs 6 lakh to lay a road covering eight kilometres. However, heavy rains caused severe damage to the road.
Lack of basic facilities and infrastructure in the isolated hilltop village has led to recurring instances of life-threatening emergencies. Demanding immediate action, Chanti urged the district administration to visit the village and witness first-hand the struggles faced by the tribal population.
He stressed the urgent need for improved healthcare facilities and infrastructure to prevent further loss of life in similar circumstances.“We are unsure about whether the government will address our issues or let us to continue enduring them,” Korra Rajababu, a resident of village, rued.