KHAMMAM: A tribal pregnant woman went into labour and had to be carried nearly 6 km on a makeshift stretcher through a muddy track to reach medical care in Batti Gudem, a remote village in Cherla mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The woman, Rava Bhime, developed labour pains on Monday evening. With the village located about 20 km from the mandal headquarters and no proper road for the last 6 km, residents of the village and others carried her through slush-filled forest paths to Thippapuram, the nearest road point.
Along the way, Bhime experienced intense pains and eventually delivered a baby boy by the road at Thippapuram. She was later taken by auto-rickshaw to Chelimela, where an ambulance shifted her to the Satyanarayanapuram government hospital.
Not a lone incident
This is not an isolated case. Recently, Iramma of Veerapuram and Kattam Lakshmi of Ramachandrapuram faced similar ordeals, being carried through the forest during childbirth.
Many citizens criticised the authorities for failing to raise awareness among Adivasis about birth-waiting rooms in hospitals, which could prevent such crises. In some past cases, women reportedly lost their lives during such journeys.
Villagers have urged the government to lay basic roads, build bridges and ensure that pregnant women, who are expecting delivery, are taken to hospitals in advance.
Additional DMHO B Saidulu told TNIE that Bhime and her baby are safe. He added that health officials will visit the village on Wednesday to inquire into the matter.