A mother was forced to carry her deceased toddler's body since the ambulance dropped them midway due to improper roads in a tribal hamlet in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district. The 18-month-old baby had reportedly died due to a snake bite.
An 18-month-old, Thanushka, was sleeping outside her home when suddenly a snake bit her. The parents who were also sleeping nearby immediately understood the gravity of the matter and took the toddler to Anaikattu Government Hospital. However, due to improper roads, their journey got delayed. When they reached the hospital, the doctors declared the child as brought dead on arrival.
The hospital then performed an autopsy and gave the body to the parents for cremation. The body was taken in an ambulance but the driver dropped midway due to the muddy road.
The mother then carried the baby uphill for 6 kilometers, said a report on NDTV.
The relatives of the child alleged that the improper roads resulted in the death. They said that the treatment was delayed since they could not take the child on time to the hospital for treatment.
Vellore Collector told NDTV, there was a mini ambulance available at the foothills and the Asha workers would have taken the child to the hospital for administering first aid if the family had contacted them. However, he said that the parents decided to travel by motorcycle without contacting Asha workers.
The Collector said that efforts were underway to lay the road to connect 1,500 people residing in the hilly terrain.
The Annaikattu police also registered a case.
Meanwhile, the death led to a political debate. Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai said, "Tamil Nadu government is fully responsible for the death of this little girl child. I urge on behalf of @BJP4Tamilnadu that no further loss should occur due to the neglect of the Tamil Nadu government, that roads should be constructed immediately for the villages and hill villages that do not have proper road facilities throughout Tamil Nadu."