Malkangiri: In a heart-wrenching incident that highlights the sorry state of rural infrastructure in Odisha, villagers in a remote area of Malkangiri district were forced to carry a pregnant woman on their shoulders for 10 kilometres after an ambulance got stuck midway due to poor road conditions.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Bondaghati under Mudulipada Panchayat of Khairput block. Sunai Bhoj, a resident of Bhojguda village, experienced labour pain, after which her family immediately informed local ASHA worker Rekha Mandi. An ambulance from Khairput Community health Centre (CHC) was dispatched to the village, located about 25 km away from the block headquarters.

However, the ambulance could only make it as far as Tusai Pada village due to the deplorable condition of the road between Tusai Pada and Bishoi Guda. This 10 km stretch, filled with slush and potholes, proved impassable for the vehicle.

In an extraordinary act of community effort, locals carried the woman on a makeshift stretcher through the rough terrain for 10 km.

After reaching Tusai Pada, Sunai was shifted to the ambulance and taken to Khairput CHC, where she was admitted around 6 PM. She later gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Dr Sambit Das, in-charge of the CHC, confirmed that both the mother and newborn are in stable condition.

Villagers have demanded immediate attention from the administration to complete the pending roadwork and ensure access to basic health services.