In a heart-rending incident a pregnant woman belonging to a primitive tribal community died along with her unborn child due to delayed medical treatment, caused primarily by the absence of a motorable road in the area in Gumla district of Jharkhand on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Sukri Kumari, wife of Jagannath Korwa from the remote Jhalakpat village under Dirgaon panchayat of Ghaghra block in Gumla district.
As her condition deteriorated, family members were forced to carry her on a makeshift bamboo stretcher (Shoulder yoke), risking their own lives.
They walked nearly one kilometre on foot from Jhalakpat village to Kadasilli village through a rugged, hilly and Naxal-affected terrain— an ordeal no patient should have to endure in a modern healthcare system.
After reaching Kadasilli, Sukri Kumari was taken to the Ghaghra Community Health Centre with the help of a Mamta Vahan ambulance.
Considering her critical condition, doctors immediately referred her to the Sadar Hospital in Gumla. However, she succumbed on the way before she could receive advanced medical care.
According to villagers, Jhalakpat village has remained without a road even after nearly 78 years of Independence. During the monsoon season, the situation becomes even more alarming as the village gets completely cut off, making access to healthcare, education and employment almost impossible.
Jhalakpat, a predominantly primitive tribal settlement, lies in an extremely remote and Naxal-affected zone. The village lacks not only road connectivity but also regular electricity, reliable communication facilities and basic healthcare services.
Residents claim that despite repeated demands for road construction over the years, they have received nothing beyond assurances. Development schemes, they allege, have failed to move beyond paperwork.
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