- A tribal woman in Andhra Pradesh was carried 11 km on a doli due to poor road access
- Villagers report roads with rocks, potholes, and muddy stretches worsen in rainy seasons
- Government plans include tar road construction and improved tribal area facilities by 2027
A tribal woman from a village in Andhra Pradesh's Koyyuru mandal had to be carried on a doli (Cot) for nearly 11 kilometres to reach an ambulance, highlighting the poor road connectivity in the remote tribal area of Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
On Sunday Korrabu Padma fell ill, and her condition worsened. Because vehicles couldn't reach the village, family members and villagers carried her on a doli from Marripakalu to Palakajeedi, covering about 11 kilometres. She was later shifted by ambulance to the Y Ramavaram Area Hospital for treatment.
Villagers said the road from Marripakalu is in poor condition, with rocks, potholes, muddy stretches, curves and uneven sections. They said the problem becomes worse during the rainy season and creates serious difficulties in taking patients to hospitals.
Residents said the village has been facing the road problem for decades and demanded that the government sanction and lay a proper tar road.
They appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and the state government to take immediate action.
The incident comes as the State government has announced several measures to improve facilities in tribal areas.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced government efforts to ensure safe drinking water and housing for every tribal family by 2027. He said feeder ambulances, 108 emergency services and 104 mobile medical units were being arranged to reduce the need for patients to be carried by doli.
The Chief Minister said that road connectivity was being improved in 2,336 tribal habitations and that 905 km of roads had been laid under the 'Adavi Talli Bata' programme.
On August 29, the Chief Minister also launched a drone-based medical transport service for remote tribal areas of the state.
According to Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, the drone health system was started in January 2026 in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district. Four drones have made more than 1,800 trips so far and travelled over 71,000 kilometres. More than 2,200 medical samples, including 596 sickle-cell samples, have been transported.
The service has supported more than 24,500 patients and enabled over 9,000 tests, according to the Health Department. Drones are being used to carry medical samples, medicines, vaccines and other essential supplies to remote areas.
Eight health facilities, including Paderu Government General Hospital, PHCs at Lothugedda, Tajangi, Sunkarametta, Bhimavaram and Ananthagiri, Munchingiputtu CHC, and hospitals at Chintapalli and Araku, have been connected to the drone network.
The government says the system is saving travel time and costs and helping tribal patients get medical services faster. More than 25 local and tribal youth have also been trained to support drone operations.
