No roads, no hospitals: 40YO tribal man in Vizianagaram carried in doli, dies at hospital

Vizianagaram: Protests erupted here following the death of a 40-year-old tribal man due to a delay in reaching hospital due to poor road connectivity and bad culverts. The protesting locals demanded better road connectivity to their villages located on the other side of the Thatipudi reservoir under Gantyada mandal in Vizianagaram district.

K. Jogulu, a resident of Diguva Kondaparthi village under Gantyada mandal, suffered from acute stomach pain on Saturday. Despite the incessant rains, the villagers decided to shift Jogulu to the government hospital for treatment. Initially, they planned to cross the Gostani river to reach a nearby hospital to save Jogulu's life. But their plan proved futile as the river was in spate due to recent heavy rains and they could not cross the river.

With no proper road connectivity to the village, Jogulu was carried on a make-shift stretcher (doli in local parlance) for over 7 km despite the heavy rains and slippery roads to reach the bank of Thatipudi reservoir from there they travelled on a small boat to reach the other side of the reservoir. Jogulu was admitted to the district hospital in Vizianagaram on Saturday night. Jogulu lost his final breath on Sunday morning while he was availing treatment.

With no other option, the locals again shifted Jogulu's body to the village in a doli despite the rains.

Jogulu was killed because precious time was lost because of a delay in reaching the hospital, owing to poor road connectivity and lack of proper boats and culverts, said Seethamma, a resident of Diguva Kondaparthi. Several villages under the Kondaparthi panchayat lack proper roads and healthcare centres. Owing to the lack of roads, during medical emergencies people have no other option but to carry the patients like bundles.

"The political leaders and officials of various departments have been ignoring our pleas for roads and a primary hospital. They will understand our problem only once they face it themselves," said an angry local.

"The political leaders visit our villages during the election season only and they never consider our long-pending demands. We will intensify our protest in the coming days for better roads and hospitals," the protestors said.

This is not the first time that a sick person has been carried in a doli in north Andhra Pradesh, comprising Vizag, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and Srikakulam districts. Several such incidents were reported in the past year.