An eight-month pregnant tribal woman lost her life due to a bad road in Gadchiroli

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) – An 8-month-pregnant tribal woman from Chikteveli village in South Gadchiroli District was being brought to Kamalapur Primary Health Center in Aheri taluka. As the road was bad, the woman went into labour and died on the way. The dead woman has been identified as Zuri Talandi (26 years). The incident took place on 6^th September at night.

Three big and small drains have to be crossed to reach the taluka headquarters from Chikteveli village, which is 70 km away. The demand for road construction for many years is still not fulfilled. The woman’s husband and relatives left to take her by tractor to the nearby Kamalapur Health Centre which is 35 km away. Due to the bad road, the tractor’s wheel got stuck in a pit. As it got delayed and Zuri died on the way the family took her back home halfway and performed the last rites the next day.

No one knew about it for a week. When the staff of Primary Health Center Kamalapur village came to know about it, they somehow reached Chikteveli village and inquired about the matter.

She could have been saved if she had arrived in time

The dead pregnant woman had been suffering pain since that morning, but her relatives took treatment from the village cleric. They decided to take her to the health centre, as her condition worsened during the night, but she died on the way. If she had reached 3 hours earlier, she would have been saved. – Dr Rajesh Mankar, Medical Officer, Kamalapur.

Editorial Viewpoints

• It is a shame that even after 75 years of Independence, the roads are still not built in many rural areas of Gadchiroli District.
• People’s representatives and the administration should look at this problem seriously and construct roads immediately.