A woman in Odisha’s Keonjhar district had to walk nearly 3 km carrying her newborn daughter to reach an ambulance after the vehicle could not access her hamlet because it has no motorable road, exposing the direct consequences of weak rural connectivity during a medical emergency.
Bilash Munda developed labour pains on Tuesday evening at Desabandha Sahi, a hamlet under Kumundi village in Banspal block. Her family called an ambulance, but the vehicle could not reach the settlement. Before medical assistance arrived, Bilash delivered a baby girl at home.
When the ambulance reached the area on Wednesday morning, it was forced to stop about 3 km from the hamlet because of the absence of road connectivity. Bilash then walked the entire distance with her newborn, accompanied by an Asha worker and family members, to reach the vehicle. The ambulance subsequently took the mother and child to a healthcare facility.
Chief district medical officer Dhaneswar Sethi said the health department was providing ambulance services, but the lack of road connectivity prevented vehicles from reaching some habitations. He said he would discuss the issue with officials at community health centres so that the developmental concerns could be taken up with block authorities.
The incident has highlighted a gap between the availability of emergency transport and its actual reach. An ambulance service can only provide timely care when roads allow vehicles to enter the settlements they are meant to serve. In Desabandha Sahi, residents said the route is narrow and difficult to use, particularly during the monsoon.
Around 40 tribal and Munda families live in the hamlet, according to the report. Residents said the lack of an all-weather road affects pregnant women, elderly people and patients, while also restricting access to other essential services. They said repeated appeals to the administration had not resulted in construction of a proper road.
Asha worker Mama Lianggi said residents face the same difficulty whenever someone falls ill or a woman goes into labour. Bilash’s husband, Baisagu Munda, said the family had to walk through mud with the mother and newborn and that residents encounter similar hardships regularly.
Tribal leader Binod Naik said several tribal habitations in Keonjhar still lack all-weather roads and basic amenities. The health department’s proposed discussions with community health centre officials and block authorities are the next stated step in addressing the access problem affecting Desabandha Sahi.