Just two days after a 75-year-old man was transported to a hospital on a makeshift bamboo stretcher, another person from Edamalakkudy had to be carried to a medical facility in a similar fashion on Friday. Edamalakkudy panchayat president Binu M told The Hindu that 50-year-old Poomani from Meenkuthikudy was carried over 5 km on a bamboo stretcher to reach the Societykudy hospital.
According to local residents, Poomani had been suffering from a fever for several days, and her condition deteriorated on Friday. Residents subsequently decided to shift her to the nearby primary health facility at Societykudy, located in the panchayat’s base camp.
On Friday, locals assembled a bamboo structure, covered Poomani with a plastic sheet to shield her from the rain, and carried her for over 5 km through dense forest before admitting her to the Societykudy government hospital.
A resident noted that due to the lack of a permanent bridge over the Manaliyar River, they were forced to carry the patient across Njavalpalam, a makeshift bamboo bridge. The lack of proper river crossings continues to restrict access and isolate tribal settlements in the area.
On Wednesday, 75-year-old Malayappan from the Koodallarkudy settlement had to be carried on a makeshift bamboo stretcher for roughly 10 km through dense forest to reach Mankulam, before being shifted to the Adimaly taluk hospital, after his condition worsened. Following the incident, Tribal Affairs Minister K.A. Thulasi sought an urgent report from the Adimaly tribal development officer.
Frequent ordeals
Such ordeals are frequent in the tribal panchayat. On August 21, 2025, five-year-old Karthik contracted a severe fever, forcing his family to trek through the forest with him on a stretcher toward Mankulam hospital. The child, however, did not survive.
The following day, family members had to carry his coffin on foot back to their settlement. In September 2025, his grandmother, Rajakanni, also fell ill with a high fever and had to be transported to Mankulam on a bamboo stretcher, surviving the journey.
According to residents, the persistent lack of road connectivity and basic infrastructure routinely delays emergency medical care for tribal communities across the panchayat.
Published - August 14, 2026 09:14 pm IST