Nuapada (Odisha): 73 years have passed since the country got independence but many villages are still deprived of basic facilities. Government services are still lying ill on the bed of chaos. The central and state governments are implementing new schemes, but the people living in inaccessible areas are not getting any benefit from it. On Saturday, an ambulance could not reach the village due to lack of way in a village in Nuapada district of Odisha.
A pregnant, who was suffering from childbirth, was forced to walk four kilometers from the village on foot to reach the family ambulance on the cot. The incident is about the Samadapadar village of Ranimunda Grampanchayat under Khariar block, about 90 km from the district headquarters.
An ambulance was called to Revathi Majhi, wife of Khageshwar Majhi, a resident of Samadapadar village surrounded by dense forest and hills, to take her to the hospital when she was suffering. But there was no way to reach the village because the ambulance could not reach. When there was no other arrangement, the pregnant, who was suffering from pain, lifted the shoulders on the stretcher and reached the ambulance by traveling a four kilometer rocky path. After which the woman was taken to Khariar Subdivision Health Center 14 km away where she gave birth to a girl child.
Even before this incident has happened in this village
This is not the first incident of transporting pregnant women on a stretcher or a cot through a hard rocky path to an ambulance due to lack of ambulance reaching Samadpadar village. This is also the first time such incidents have happened. On the morning of July 2 last year, after Pramila Majhi was suffering from childbirth, the relatives had called an ambulance employed by the government to ensure safe delivery of the woman. At the same time, Anganwadi center and Asha workers were also informed. But unfortunately the woman suffering from labor pain could not get the facility of ambulance.
After which, the pregnant woman’s family had left her in a charpoy (cot) and left for the health center. The woman gave birth to a baby girl on the way after covering a distance of four kilometers. After this, the family took the mother-child back to her home without medical examination. However, after the news spread, the health department came into action and a medical team reached the village to check the child.
With the help of a stick, the village reached the collector by walking on a hilly path, it was awarded
It is to be known that in December 2017, the then Collector and District Magistrate, Dr. Poma Tudu, visited the village of Samadpadar surrounded by thick forest and mountains on a four-kilometer hilly path with the help of a stick. The Collector had assured that the construction of proper road for transportation including health, education, drinking water supply in this village situated at the end of the district will be made at the earliest. The visit of the then collector was praised all over the country with the intention of providing government facility in this village deprived of basic facilities. After this effort, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik honored him with an award.
After the visit of Poma Tudu, the hope of fast development of this village was raised but no special work has been done. Significantly, IAS officer Jai Kumar V, who was the collector of Nuapada from July 2013 to April 2015, also reached this village during his tenure. He had also approved five projects for the progress of the village, including power supply, renovation of the school building, construction of anganwadi center, drinking water supply and road construction. But even today these villages are deprived of basic facilities.
