Mother’s 7km Struggle: TDP MP to Provide Ambulance After Heartbreaking Vizianagaram Incident
A tribal mother in Andhra Pradesh carried her sick child 7km for medical help, prompting TDP leaders to provide an ambulance to the village.
In a heart-wrenching display of maternal strength and desperation, a tribal mother in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district was forced to carry her ailing 12-year-old daughter on her shoulders for nearly seven kilometres just to reach medical help. This harrowing journey, triggered by a complete lack of road connectivity and heavy rains, has now sparked a swift response from the state's leadership to ensure such a tragedy is not repeated.
A Mother's Desperate Journey
The incident unfolded in Pallapu Dungada, a remote tribal hamlet located in the Daraparthi Panchayat of Srungavarapukota mandal. When young Janni Sampoorna fell seriously ill and became unable to walk, her mother, Sunkaramma, found herself in a nightmare scenario. With no motorable roads connecting their settlement to the nearest town and heavy rains making the terrain even more treacherous, vehicles could not reach the hamlet.
Driven by the urgency of her child's health, Sunkaramma hoisted her daughter onto her shoulders and trekked through difficult, rugged terrain for approximately seven kilometres to reach the foothills near Dabbagunta. Only after this grueling journey was she able to hire an auto-rickshaw to transport the girl to a private hospital for necessary treatment.
The struggle did not end with the hospital visit; the mother once again carried her daughter back home on her shoulders after the treatment was completed, highlighting the absolute isolation of their community.
Political Intervention and Immediate Relief
The story of Sunkaramma's struggle quickly gained attention, reaching Minister Nara Lokesh. Moved by the distressing images and reports of the mother's plight, the Minister called for an immediate intervention to address the critical lack of emergency transportation in the village.
Responding to this call, TDP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Chintakayala has stepped forward to provide an ambulance for Pallapu Dungada village. The vehicle will be funded through his MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) funds.
"This is my small part. No mother should ever have to be her child’s ambulance," stated Vijay Chintakayala, emphasizing the necessity of basic healthcare infrastructure in tribal areas.
The Shadow of Unfinished Infrastructure
While the provision of an ambulance offers immediate relief, the incident has cast a harsh light on a longstanding failure in infrastructure development. Reports indicate that a 6.5-kilometre road leading to Pallapu Dungada was sanctioned nearly eight years ago under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Despite an estimated budget of ₹4.90 crore, the road project remains incomplete. This stalled project is the primary reason why residents of the hamlet continue to be cut off from essential services, turning a routine medical emergency into a life-threatening struggle for the villagers.
The new ambulance is expected to bridge the gap in emergency transportation, providing the residents of the hamlet with a lifeline to medical facilities and ensuring that no other parent has to endure the physical and emotional trauma experienced by Sunkaramma.