Ailing teen from Chhattisgarh carried 25 km on cot to Maharashtra for medical treatment

In an incident that highlights the lack of infrastructure in tribal areas, relatives of an ailing 17-year-old girl from neighbouring Chhattisgarh had to carry her 25 km on a wooden cot to Maharashtra's Gadchiroli for medical treatment.

The teen from Metawada village in the Bakawand area of Bastar district was on Friday brought by her relatives to the primary health centre (PHC) in Laheri in Bhamragadh taluka of Gadchiroli, an official said.

The girl's family members made the arduous journey after placing her on a cot and carrying it on their shoulders for around 25 km, he said.

Talking to PTI, the medical officer of Laheri PHC Dr Sambhaji Bhokre said the girl had been suffering from fever and vomiting over the last few days. She was immediately given treatment and is stable now.

Cases of malaria have been on the rise during monsoon and patients from four to five border villages of Chhattisgarh have been seeking treatment at Laheri PHC as it is closer for them than the PHC at Narayanpur in the neighbouring state, the official said.

Meanwhile, a senior health officer told PTI that though the district administration has ambulances and has shared phone numbers with locals, these villages are situated on hilly terrain, where there are no motorable roads and the network connectivity is poor.

People living in these villages don't have any option but to reach places on foot, he said.