Pregnant Meghalaya woman taken to hospital on bamboo stretcher for 5 km

Unable to get an ambulance or a vehicle, a 36-week pregnant woman in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district was carried on a makeshift bamboo stretcher for five kilometres to a hospital where she delivered a healthy girl, an official said.

During the journey on Monday, the heavily built woman with high blood pressure was struggling with labour pain but made it to the health centre on time.

"Volunteers from Jalilum village took turns to carry the patient for nearly five kilometres as there was no vehicle or ambulances there," Dr C Lyngdoh, in charge of Patharkhmah Community Health Centre, told PTI.

She delivered a baby girl weighing a little over four kilograms at the CHC and both are fine, Lyngdoh said.

A video of the woman being carried on the makeshift stretcher went viral on social media, with people criticising the administration.

The road between Jalilum and the health centre is in bad condition for several years, an elder from the village said.