Patient carried on makeshift bamboo stretcher to hospital in Keralam’s Edamalakkudy; fourth incident in a month
40-year-old woman suffering from high fever carried over 7 km through dense forests as lack of proper roads and bridges continues to severely disrupt daily life for the Muthuvan tribal community in Keralam’s first tribal panchayat near Munnar
In the tribal panchayat of Edamalakkudy, Keralam, the lack of proper roads and bridges continues to severely impact daily life, particularly for critically ill patients who must be transported using makeshift bamboo stretchers across rugged forest terrain. On August 31, 2026, a 40-year-old woman named Sumathi, suffering from high fever, had to be carried over seven kilometers through dense forests to reach medical care at the Munnar General Hospital.
This marks the fourth such incident in under a month, with the panchayat president, Binu M., stating that Sumathi developed a severe fever, leaving villagers with no choice but to transport her through the challenging terrain. The panchayat president emphasized that without proper road connectivity, these recurring emergencies reflect the dire conditions in the panchayat and that the community urgently demands better road infrastructure to ensure timely emergency medical care.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
