Daijiworld Media Network - Gadchiroli

Gadchiroli, Aug 29: A pregnant woman in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district was carried across a flooded stream on a makeshift sling after an ambulance was unable to reach her village due to the absence of a bridge and proper road connectivity.

The incident occurred in Koindul village when 26-year-old Chhaya Suresh Naitam went into labour and required immediate medical attention.

On Friday morning, the ambulance could not enter the village as several streams along the route were flooded. With no other option available, villagers stepped in to help transport Chhaya to the waiting ambulance.

They placed her on a cot and carried her through the floodwaters using a makeshift sling locally known as a kanwad. A health worker accompanied her as villagers carefully crossed the swollen stream.

After reaching the other side, Chhaya was transferred to the ambulance and taken to hospital for treatment.

The incident occurred on Raksha Bandhan, a festival symbolising the bond of protection between brothers and sisters.

Villagers said the ordeal was not an isolated occurrence, claiming they face similar difficulties every monsoon when streams become difficult and sometimes dangerous to cross.

They said they have repeatedly demanded the construction of a bridge and a proper road to connect the village, but alleged that no permanent solution has been provided.

The incident comes weeks after a seven-month pregnant woman in a remote tribal hamlet in Telangana was similarly carried across a swollen stream on a makeshift stretcher after heavy rains cut off road access.

Residents of Koindul expressed anger over the lack of basic infrastructure and questioned why villagers continue to risk their lives crossing flooded streams to access essential medical care decades after Independence.