Several reports of women being transported in makeshift palanquins due to inaccessible roads have surfaced recently.
A recent remark by Sidhi BJP MP Dr Rakesh Mishra has sparked controversy over the demands of a pregnant woman has sparked concerns.
The issue of lack of roads was brought to light by local influencer Leela Sahu, who is also currently pregnant. Sahu highlighted on social media that the lack of road connectivity in the village severely hampers access to medical facilities, especially during the monsoon season.
It was highlighted that ambulances and other vehicles often fail to reach the area, forcing expectant mothers to travel in tractors or face dangerous delays in reaching hospitals.
Sahu had flagged the road problem in 2023 as well, however, no progress has been made since then.
When asked about the concerns of pregnant woman in Khaddi Khurd village, MP Rakesh Mishra said that several facilities from the state government are available and the women could get admitted in the hospital before their due date, according to TOI. “Delivery ke ek hafte pehle uthwa lenge” (We’ll get them picked up a week before delivery), he was quoted as saying.
“We have ambulances, we have other facilities, we have ASHA workers there. Come and get admitted at the hospital.” He added, “Every delivery has an estimated date, we’ll get them picked up a week in advance.”
There have been several instances of pregnant women being transported in make-shift palanquin as the vehicle could not reach the desired spot. A pregnant woman had to be carried in a makeshift palanquin, called ‘doli’ in local parlance, last month due to lack of an approach road to her hamlet in Shahapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
A video of 21-year-old Sangita Ravindra Mukane being carried in a doli over a distance of more than one kilometre from her native Chafewadi village to an ambulance parked at Gaidand Road at around 1:30pm went viral on social media.