Ambulances lie unused in Chhotaudepur as pregnant tribal women carried to hospital in slings

While the Gujarat government speaks of modern healthcare access, tribal residents in Naswadi taluka are forced to carry pregnant women down hills in slings because special ambulances purchased for remote areas gather dust in the compound of a health facility.

The health department of the Chhotaudepur District Panchayat had spent ₹20 lakh to purchase specialised ambulances to operate in hilly and difficult terrain where regular emergency vehicles could not reach.

These ambulances were allotted to Naswadi taluka, but the block health officer did not specify which PHC (Primary Health Centre) should receive these vehicles. Now, four vehicles intended to serve remote areas of Naswadi taluka are lying unused in poor condition at the compound of the Gadhboriyad Community Health Centre.

The issue came to light after a pregnant woman from villages such as Khokhra and Naliabari had to be carried to a hospital using a sling when a 108 ambulance service vehicle could not reach the area due to poor road conditions.

Locals said that the specialised ambulances, designed for difficult terrain, could have easily reached the villages if they had been deployed in the hilly areas as intended. Instead, patients were forced to be carried down the hills manually.

Furthermore, locals have become enraged over the situation and allege that the district health administration has been functioning under in-charge officials for nearly two years, resulting in poor coordination and delayed decision-making.