Medical Apathy in J&K: Woman Delivers Baby on Road as Medical Facilities Fail in Kishtwar

Kishtwar: In a heart-wrenching incident, a pregnant woman from Bonjwah in Inderwal was forced to deliver her baby on the roadside after no ambulance or doctor could reach her. With heavy snow cutting off access to medical facilities, the woman’s family had no choice but to carry her on their shoulders for several kilometers. 

The family members of the woman started from their home early in the morning to reach the Hospital, but couldn't make it, and she gave birth on the roadside. "Both woman and the child are doing fine, but there are many cases where we have seen either the mother or the child losing their lives on the way to the hospital. We even tried to reach out for an ambulance, but nothing worked for us. Thank god, the mother and child are safe and back home," said the father-in-law of the woman in the video of the woman delivering a baby on the road.

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Mohd Idrees, a relative of the woman, narrated the ordeal, and said, "This morning, when our sister’s delivery was due, we called for an ambulance, but due to the poor road conditions, no one arrived. We have no proper medical facilities—no doctors, no hospitals. We urge the DC, MLA, and the government to address the suffering of the tribal communities in snow-covered areas. We are forced to carry pregnant women on our shoulders due to the lack of roads and healthcare. Today, a woman gave birth on the road and was then taken back home. We do not even have a single gynaecologist in the region," he added.

But this is not the first such incident. On February 28, in the Jangna area of Keswan, located in the Thakrai block of Kishtwar, a pregnant woman had to be carried on a bed to Kishtwar Hospital due to heavy snowfall blocking access. The village is home to the Gujjar community, who allege that the government has been neglecting their needs and failing to provide adequate healthcare and infrastructure.