A tribal woman belonging to the Kurumba tribe, Sumathi Murukan who was pregnant, experienced labour pain at 12.45 a.m. on Sunday and there was no ambulance or other vehicles available to admit the pregnant woman to a hospital. Ambulance and other vehicles could not reach the Kadukkumanna tribal hamlet in Attapadi.

The family of Sumathi contacted the tribal hospital at Puthoor and the nurse Priya Joy responded that she would reach soon. After several calls, an ambulance was also willing to fetch the pregnant woman. However, ambulance and other transport could reach only up to 3 km away from their residence at Anavayal. The Kadukkumanna tribal village is connected to the outside world through a hanging bridge across the Bhavani river, however a vehicle could not travel through this bridge.

Not wasting time, the health department officials and the relatives of the pregnant woman carried her in a cloth sling, walked for three kilometers. The area, where wild animals like tuskers and leopards are often spotted, was a nightmare for the private taxis and even ambulances plying through the locality.

Finally, the people with the pregnant woman left the village at 2.30 a.m., and reached the Anavayal area, where vehicles could come, at 5.30 am. From Anavayal, Sumathi Murukan was rushed to the hospital where she gave birth to the child. (SJ/IANS)