A pregnant woman in labour had to be carried for more than a kilometre on a cot to reach a motorable road after an ambulance could not enter Butkuiya village in Chatra district because the Domuhan river has no bridge, according to a report by the Times of India.
The 28-year-old woman, identified as Rita Devi, went into labour on Monday evening. Her family called an ambulance, but the vehicle was unable to reach the village because the route is cut off by the river. The approach road leading to the settlement is also in poor condition.
As her condition worsened, villagers placed Devi on a cot and carried her on their shoulders through the difficult stretch for more than a kilometre. She was then taken in another vehicle to the Kunda primary health centre, the report said.
The episode highlights how the absence of basic connectivity can become an emergency healthcare barrier in remote settlements. When ambulances cannot reach homes directly, residents may have to depend on improvised transport and community assistance, particularly during medical emergencies involving pregnant women, critically ill patients, elderly people and children.
Residents said the absence of a bridge over the Domuhan river has affected Butkuiya and neighbouring villages for several years. They said people are able to manage on ordinary days, but emergencies become substantially more difficult because patients and vehicles cannot cross the river route easily.
The problem is expected to become more severe during the monsoon, when the river swells and the approach roads become harder to use. The residents also said the poor condition of the road further delays access to essential services and makes it difficult for ambulances to reach the village directly.
Ward member Ashok Yadav, along with villagers Brijesh Yadav and Ramu Ganjhu, raised the issue of the missing bridge and damaged approach road. They urged the administration to construct a bridge over the river and repair the road so emergency and other essential vehicles can enter the village.
Kunda Block Development Officer Saket Kumar Sinha said efforts were being made to get the bridge constructed and that the matter had been brought to the attention of the deputy commissioner. He said the river is wide and would require a large bridge.
Sinha also said the project may be pursued through the District Mineral Foundation Trust, or DMFT. The administration’s next step is therefore expected to involve examining the bridge requirement, identifying funding through the proposed mechanism and addressing the approach road that currently prevents direct ambulance access to Butkuiya.
