Villagers carry pregnant woman on cot across river in MP, she delivers on way

BHOPAL: A video of villagers carrying a pregnant woman on a cot across a river in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district has gone viral, highlighting the lack of a bridge in the area and delays in emergency medical care. The woman later delivered her baby while being transported after an ambulance could not reach her village in Amarwara block. Residents said nearly 20 families in the remote hamlet depend on crossing the river to access the nearest road and have been demanding a bridge for years. They said the village remains cut off during emergencies, causing repeated hardship. According to locals, the woman, identified as Savita Vishwakarma, developed labour pain on Wednesday and an ASHA worker called the 108 ambulance service. However, poor network connectivity and the river crossing delayed medical help. As her condition worsened, villagers placed her on a cot and carried her across the river. The woman delivered the baby before she could reach a healthcare facility. Villagers later took the mother and newborn on a motorcycle to a hospital for treatment. Block medical officer Dr K Thakur said the woman was brought to hospital after labour pain began and that both mother and child are healthy. The incident has once again drawn attention to the difficulties faced by people in remote parts of the district, where poor transport infrastructure can delay access to emergency healthcare.