Maharashtra: Pregnant tribal woman dies after walking two and a half km to reach hospital

A pregnant woman from Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district in Maharashtra had to walk a long muddy path to reach the hospital as the area has been deprived of roads.

Nashik (Maharashtra):A seven-month pregnant woman, Vanita Bhagat, lost her life after travelling for a two-and-a-half kilometre muddy path to reach a hospital in Junwanewadi, a tribal settlement in Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district on Tuesday, police said.

Bhagwan Madhe, an official of the Elgar organisation, said, "The delay in accessing proper health facilities in the tribal areas continues to take lives."

According to the official, Vanita faced an unfortunate demise due to the excruciating pain that she suffered while travelling a long distance. Thereafter, her relatives were forced to take the body back from the hospital in a sack. Though her family tried to help her, still she could not be revived. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, particularly since the government allocates substantial funds each year for the development of tribal areas but people of places like Igatpuri taluka are suffering due to poor infrastructure, which trouble local tribals.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. A few days ago, a pregnant woman from Palghar district, adjacent to the Chief Minister's Thane, faced a similar situation. She was also admitted to the hospital under difficult circumstances. Likewise, a woman from Shendepada village in Mokhada taluka of Maharashtra was carried to the hospital in a sling due to the absence of a road amid fears of accident in flooded river.

It is evident that there is an urgent need for adequate infrastructure and medical facilities in remote regions to prevent such tragedies and improve the quality of life for the tribal communities.