Woman carried 11 km on doli for medical care

A 26-year-old woman was carried for nearly 11 km on a doli by villagers after poor road connectivity prevented her family from taking her to the hospital on a two-wheeler in Marripakalu village in the mandal on Saturday.

The woman, Padma, wife of Korabu Rambabu, had been suffering from a kidney-related ailment for the past few days. Her condition reportedly deteriorated suddenly around midnight on Friday.

Her family members initially attempted to take her to a hospital on a two-wheeler. However, the poor condition of the road made it impossible to continue the journey. Villagers then arranged a doli and carried her for about 11 km to Palakajeedi in the early hours of Saturday.

“We tried to take her to the hospital on a two-wheeler, but the road was not in a condition that allowed us to travel. We had no option but to carry her on a doli,” the family members said.

From Palakajeedi, Ms. Padma was shifted by ambulance to the Y. Ramavaram Area Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.

Residents said the incident highlighted the difficulties faced by people in the remote villages under the Marripakalu panchayat, particularly during the monsoon.

“When the rains begin, reaching the main road becomes extremely difficult. During medical emergencies, villagers are forced to carry patients on dolis for several kilometres,” residents said.

The Marripakalu panchayat has around 10 villages, according to residents. They said the absence of proper road connectivity had left people vulnerable during emergencies and affected their access to essential services.

The villagers urged the authorities to take immediate steps to provide motorable roads to the remote habitations.

“We request the authorities to address the road connectivity problem at the earliest so that people are not forced to carry patients on dolis to reach an ambulance or hospital,” they said.