Expectant woman carried on cot to ambulance due to lack of roads in Odisha's Nakchhinda village

BARIPADA: A pregnant woman of Nakchhinda village in Kaptipada block had to be carried on a cot for more than one km to the ambulance in absence of road on Monday. 

The woman, 34-year-old Radhika Samada, was later admitted to Udala sub-divisional hospital. Sources said Radhika complained of labour pain on Sunday night. 

However, family members could not take her to the nearest Kaptipada community health centre in the night due to fear of wild animals as the village is situated near Similipal forest. 

In the morning, family members rang up 102 ambulance. The ambulance driver responded but parked the vehicle at a distance of one km from the village as there was no motorable road.

Since the ambulance could not reach the village due to lack of a road, villagers arranged a cot and took her to the ambulance, Radhika’s husband Goura said.

Contacted, block development officer (BDO) of Kaptipada Satyanath Naik said he is unaware of any such village. Udala Sub-Collector Bhagaban Behera said he will look into the problem and take up the matter with Kaptipada BDO.