Maharashtra: Pregnant tribal woman carried in makeshift stretcher, delivers baby in forest

A pregnant tribal woman was carried in a makeshift stretcher due to lack of proper road in a village in Maharashtra's Palghar district and she delivered a baby midway in a dense and dark forest, officials said on Monday.

The 21-year-old woman, from Eina village in Jawhar taluka, went into labour on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday, a medical officer said.

As there was no proper road connectivity to the nearest hospital, villagers carried her in a 'dholi' (makeshift stretcher) through a thick forest at around 3 am for five kilometres.

A video showing some people carrying the woman through the forest surfaced on social media platforms.

The woman delivered a baby girl midway in the forest, the medical officer said.

The mother and child were admitted to Jawhar Patangshah Sub District Hospital in the early hours of Sunday. Both of them are fine now, the hospital's medical superintendent Dr Ramdas Marad said.

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The village is situated in a remote area and does not have proper road connectivity.

Last month, a 26-year-old pregnant tribal woman was carried in a makeshift stretcher due to lack of a proper road in a village in Mokhada taluka here amid heavy rains. She lost her twin infants at birth as a result of the delay in reaching a medical centre.

Palghar Zilla Parishad president Vaidehi Wadhan told reporters on Sunday that villages in remote areas do not have proper road connectivity.

Health authorities have been instructed to take steps and avoid such incidents, she said.