Chamarajanagara: A sick person was taken to the hospital in a makeshift stretcher in Doddane village near Male Mahadeshwar hill in Hanur Taluk. The person, identified as Mahadev of Doddane village, was suffering from a lung problem and suddenly fell ill on the afternoon of Wednesday January 18. As no vehicle was available to take him to the hospital, he was brought to Sulwadi Primary Health Centre using a makeshift stretcher and received medical treatment. Later, he was taken to Chamarajanagara District Hospital.
More than ten villages under Male Mahadeshwar Betta Gram Panchayat do not have proper road facilities. Without a proper transport system, people are stranded. Several requests have been made to the Deputy Commissioner, District In-Charge Minister, MLAs and authorities to provide transport arrangements, but nothing has been done. Since the roads of these jungle villages are in terrible condition, even ambulance traffic is not possible. The patients here are suffering a lot due to this.
There have been incidents of pregnant women giving birth on the way while being brought to the hospital in a makeshift stretcher. There have also been a few incidents of deaths due to not being able to reach the hospital on time. The villagers have expressed their outrage that the government has not taken any action.
Earlier, the Forest Department provided three jeeps to the villages of Mendare, Tulsikere, Indiganatta, Padasalanatta, Medganane, Palar, Doddane, Thokere, and Kokkabare by starting a project called ‘Jan Vana Transport.’ It was used for one or two months to take the children to school, go to the hospital and for daily commuting. However, in the last two months, the road has been completely damaged and the drivers have not been paid. So, the project stopped.
The road to Indiganatta village is being repaired. Gram Panchayat President Tholasikere Kemppanna has informed that once the Forest Department appoints a driver, they will run vehicles on this route.
Although 75 years have passed since independence, many villages have not received basic amenities. The Chamarajanagara District is one of the most backward districts of the State situated on the border of Karnataka and Tamilnadu.
