VISAKHAPATNAM: There seems to no end to travails of tribals, particularly those belonging to the Primitive Tribal Group (PTG), as incidents of pregnant women and sick people being carried in dolis to hospital are being reported every alternate day in Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
A 20-year-old woman along with her born baby was carried in a doli from Pedagaruvu hilltop village in Rolugunta mandal up to Arla from where they were shifted to the Primary Health Centre at Butchimpeta in an auto on Tuesday.
However, the newborn developed complications and died at the hospital on Wednesday. The tribals said the newborn could have been saved if immediate medical attention was paid in the village. Besides, the mother had to undergo the hardship of travelling in a doli in the hilly terrain for 3 km within hours after delivery.
When the tribals contacted the government medical officer for assistance, he sent a private auto to Arlia, in which the mother and the newborn were shifted to the PHC. They said they recently staged a demonstration with dolis at the collectorate to bring their problems to the notice of the Collector. Pedagaruvu village head Killo Narasayya said they laid a 3 km road with Shramdan from Pedagaruvu to Arla in 2020.
However, the road was washed away due to heavy rains. He said there was no community health worker in the village and also there was no Anganwadi centre. If roads are not laid to the hilltop villages, they will boycott the next elections, he said.Fifth Schedule Sadhana Committee honorary president K Govinda Rao said it was unfortunate that the officials were not focusing on providing amenities in villages.