A tribal woman from Satalutoli village in Manora tehsil of Jashpur district was forced to deliver her baby on the roadside after being carried across a flooded river by two Asha workers. Notably, Jashpur is home district of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, where this incident unfolded, unveiled a grim snapshot of rural neglect in healthcare system of the state. On Tuesday morning at 8 am, Mitanins Bifni Bai and Relo Bai set out with the pregnant Manjita Bai to reach the nearest health facility.

 

The village’s only connecting bridge has been broken for years, and the unpaved path was washed out by heavy rains. With mobile networks down and no ambulance in sight, the women were left to depend entirely on their will and strength. Braving the current, both Asha workers physically supported and carried Manjita Bai through the river. But before they could reach a health centre, the woman went into labour near the roadside by a villager’s home. In pouring rain, without shelter, and with no trained medical personnel, the baby was delivered with the help of the two Mitanins and the woman’s mother. Jitendra Singh, a local correspondent from Surguja division under which Jashpur district falls, told The Hitavada, “The hospital is barely 1.5 km away. But during monsoons, it’s a no-man’s land. The locals have pleaded for a bridge and a proper road for years.” Singh, who also runs a web news portal and shared the video of the entire episode with this newspaper reporter, added, “Children here often miss school, teachers can’t enter the village, and sick villagers must walk miles in dangerous conditions. This is not an isolated incident - such hardships worsen every monsoon, year after year.”