Pregnant woman in Telangana transported by bullock cart due to poor road conditions

An ambulance was available, but the road was not. A pregnant woman in Sarkepalli hamlet of Telangana’s Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district had to be ferried on a bullock cart to reach a 108 ambulance stranded a few kilometres away.

Karishma, a resident of Sarkepalli in Wankidi mandal, bordering Maharashtra, went into labour on September 5. Her family contacted the 108 emergency ambulance service, but the vehicle could not reach the hamlet as the road had become muddy and difficult to negotiate following rain.

The ambulance stopped near Marepalli. With no other way left, Ms. Karishma’s family and villagers arranged a bullock cart and transported her across the difficult stretch to where the ambulance was waiting.

Ms. Karishma was then shifted to the ambulance and taken to Wankidi Government Hospital, where she delivered a baby girl. The mother and newborn were reported to be safe.

Speaking to The Hindu, District Collector K. Haritha said some remote habitations become temporarily inaccessible to motor vehicles during the monsoon.

“We actively monitor pregnant women based on their estimated date of delivery and get them to the PHC well in advance during the monsoon. But sometimes things come up unexpectedly. Even in such cases, our medical staff will be assisting them in every manner possible,” Ms. Haritha said.

The latest incident is not the first instance of a pregnant woman in the tribal district having to depend on a bullock cart because of poor road connectivity.

In August 2024, a pregnant woman from another remote habitation in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad was reportedly transported on a bullock cart after a 108 ambulance could not reach her village because of the poor road conditions. She was taken for about 2.5 km before being transferred to the ambulance. The woman subsequently lost her unborn child.

These incidents may not be the only such cases. Several instances may go unreported, highlighting the difficulties people in remote habitations face in accessing emergency healthcare and even reaching schools when roads become unusable during the monsoon.