Palghar(Maharashtra): A 21-year-old woman from the Manmohadi village in the Jawhar taluka gave birth to a child in a forest owing to the lack of medical as well as transportation facilities in the area. The woman reported started having labor pain at 3 in the morning on Sunday and had to be rushed to the hospital. However, with no hospital in the vicinity or the availability of an ambulance, the woman's relatives decided to carry her in a 'doli' to the hospital.
As the woman and the relatives entered the forest trail of 5 km and were approaching the hospital, the 21-year-old gave birth to a girl child midway. Both were rushed to the nearest hospital after the delivery, where the doctors declared that both the mother and the child are safe. However, both were admitted to the hospital for basic monitoring, informed Dr. Ramdas Marad, the Medical Superintendent at the Patang Shah Upazila Hospital Jawhar.
As informed by the villagers, this is not the first time that a villager in need of medical attention had to compromise health and safety because of the lack of commutation facilities. The 5 km forest trail that leads to the hospital is dangerous for several reasons, especially at night. "A lot of lives have been put at risk because of lack of good infrastructure. It's been two years that we are requesting and trying to get the government's attention to this issue, but the officials gave us an excuse. They say they cannot develop a road without the permission of the forest department," said one of the villagers.
He further said that the villagers eventually decided to approach the forest department directly with some political support from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi. "The villagers have some hope now. We are just happy that both the mother and the daughter are safe and healthy for now," the villager added.
