Officials Sent to Assess Roadless Hamlet Turn Back Midway on Hill Track
Key Points:
- Repeated calls to 108 ambulance service bring no response
- Tola head Jangal Hembram shifted on foot to Kanikocha
- SDO orders junior engineer to begin road survey immediately
JAMSHEDPUR – Residents of a hillside hamlet in Dumaria block were forced to carry an ailing man four kilometres on a cot after an ambulance failed to reach them.
Chitamati Tola falls under Jadugoda panchayat. The hamlet lies in East Singhbhum district.
Jangal Hembram, the head of the tola, fell ill suddenly. Villagers then tried to reach the 108 ambulance service.
Moreover, repeated attempts brought no help. No vehicle arrived at the hamlet.
Residents finally lifted him onto a cot. They walked with him along a rocky hill track.
The stretch to Kanikocha runs about four kilometres. A private vehicle was arranged there.
Besides, he was taken to hospital in that vehicle. The journey was completed on foot until that point.
Villagers said no road has ever reached Chitamati Tola. Conditions worsen during the rainy months.
Any illness or emergency forces the same routine. Patients must be carried on a cot to the main road.
In addition, residents complained about emergency services. The ambulance does not arrive in time in the area, they said.
The administration responded after pictures of the incident circulated. A team of officials set out for the hamlet on foot.
Ghatshila sub-divisional officer Amitabh Bhagat led the group. Dumaria block development officer Nilesh Murmu accompanied him.
Circle officer Pawan Kumar and other officials joined the walk. The aim was to assess the problems on the ground.
However, the officials could not complete the climb. The steep hill track stopped them midway.
They did not reach the hamlet itself. The difficulty of the route was acknowledged afterwards.
Meanwhile, the officials accepted the villagers’ central complaint. The absence of a road is a major problem, they said.
The sub-divisional officer then issued an instruction. The junior engineer was told to start a survey without delay.
On the other hand, measurement work was also ordered. The step is meant to lead to road construction.
Villagers have drawn hope from the assurance. They expect emergency health services to reach the hamlet once the road is built.
Similar scenes have been reported elsewhere in the state. Villagers in Giridih carried a pregnant woman four kilometres on a cot in May.
The 108 ambulance service has drawn protests in the district. A torch rally was held in Musabani over healthcare services in June.
Dumaria has featured in other distress reports as well. Two women died of krait snakebite in the block the same month.
The deputy commissioner had visited the area earlier. He assessed schemes during a Musabani and Dumaria tour.
New health facilities have come up in other blocks. A foundation stone was laid for a primary health centre at Bagunahatu.
