A woman gave birth while being carried on a cot across a river in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after ambulances failed to reach her remote hamlet, with local residents saying the area remains cut off during the rainy season as repeated demands for a bridge a proper road have not been met.
The incident took place in the Lohri Mohalla area of Hathoda Hiri village in Amarwara block, where around 20 families remain cut off during the monsoon as the only approach road is interrupted by a rain-fed river. A video of villagers carrying the woman on a cot through the river surfaced on Sunday, drawing attention to the hardships faced by residents of the area.
According to the family, 35-year-old Savita Vishwakarma, wife of Shankar Vishwakarma, developed labour pains on Wednesday evening. Her relatives immediately called the 108 ambulance service, but the vehicle could not reach the hamlet because of the swollen river.
With no other option, family members and villagers placed her on a cot and started carrying her across the river on foot. During the crossing, her labour pain intensified, and she delivered the baby on the cot itself.
Villagers then managed to take the mother and newborn across the river and waited for an ambulance. However, when no ambulance arrived even after a long wait, they transported both on a motorcycle to Amarwara Civil Hospital. Hospital authorities said both the mother and child are healthy.
‘Appeals unheard’
Gopal Vishwakarma, the woman’s brother-in-law, said the village remains inaccessible every monsoon because vehicles cannot cross the river.
“My sister-in-law was in severe labour pain. We called an ambulance, but during the rain, no vehicle can reach our hamlet because of the river. We had no choice but to carry her on a cot. While crossing the river, she delivered the baby on the way,” he said.
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He claimed that villagers have repeatedly appealed for a bridge and an all-weather road, but their demands have gone unheard.
“Such situations arise every monsoon. We have repeatedly demanded a bridge and a proper road, but neither officials nor public representatives have paid attention. Schoolchildren also have to cross the river every day. We have submitted complaints to the Janpad Panchayat, the SDM and informed elected representatives, but nobody has taken any action,” Vishwakarma said.
Residents said the absence of a bridge means emergency services, including ambulances, are unable to reach the settlement during the rainy season, forcing patients to be carried manually across the river.
Mother and baby healthy
Responding to the incident, officials at the Amarwara Civil Hospital said the Health Department had no immediate information on why the ambulance failed to reach the patient.
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“We do not know why the ambulance could not reach the pregnant woman on time. The 108 ambulance service is operated from the Bhopal control room. The mother and newborn have reached our hospital, and both are healthy,” said a health official.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges of last-mile healthcare delivery in remote parts of Madhya Pradesh. While emergency ambulance services have expanded across the state, inaccessible roads continue to prevent timely medical assistance in several villages, particularly during the monsoon.
Following the incident, villagers renewed their demand for the immediate construction of a bridge and an all-weather road, saying the lack of basic infrastructure continues to put lives at risk every rainy season.