Tribals carry a 62-year-old woman patient in a Doli made of bamboo and bedsheet, cross a river and walk a couple of kilometers to access a Hospital! No Ambulance as there are no roads in this village in Jawhar Taluka of Palghar District or bridges to cross the river or terrain!

Vishal Rajemahadik
Sprouts Brand Story

A 62-year-old woman had to be lifted in a hand-made Doli of bamboos and bedsheet so that she could be ferried to a hospital after crossing a river and walking a path through a jungle in Jawhar Taluka of Palghar district. The senior citizen had to be carried around three to four kilometers by a group of men from her house in Pathardi gram panchayat in Jawhar taluka, who also had to pass a river (Kalsheti River) in between. Still, she was lucky as the river was a bit calm due to the absence of rain for the last couple of days.

While India celebrated Amrit Mahotsav, there are several pockets in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, which need Vikas as a priority. She had swelling on her leg due to some injury and was in tremendous pain, and needed some medical attention on priority.

A tribal, part of this group carrying the lady patient said in a viral video, ” It’s been around 2.5 years that we have been following it up with the politicians and the bureaucracy for basic amenities like roads, but all our requests have fallen on deaf ears. We voted for the politicians who have ignored us even after our repeated meetings. It is sad that in a Free Country we have to use a Doli to ferry patients to hospital for treatment.”

No Roads for 108 Ambulance!

In the past as well a couple of patients have died as they never got timely treatment, as they had to be ferried in a Doli. 108 ambulances couldn’t reach as there are no roads. Be it pregnant patients or divyang, all are still waiting for a road so that an ambulance can reach them on time. There have been several such instances in the past but no one has ever paid heed to the basic demands of the tribals like roads and drinking water.