Edamalakkudy villagers carry 33-year-old Ajay 7km on stretcher 5th time
In Edamalakkudy, Kerala, getting to a hospital isn't as simple as calling an ambulance.
On September 5, locals carried 33-year-old Ajay nearly seven kilometers through tough forest trails on a bamboo stretcher after days of high fever.
This is the fifth time in less than a month since August 12 that someone's had to make this exhausting journey just to get basic medical help.
Edamalakkudy lacks motorable roads and bridges
Edamalakkudy is Kerala's first tribal panchayat, but it still has no motorable roads or bridges.
When emergencies hit, residents have no choice but to hike through dense forests and rivers, carrying patients on makeshift stretchers.
With cases like Sumathi, 40, Rajathi, 33, Poomani, 50, and Malayappan, 75, all needing the same trek in recent weeks, locals say better roads could be a real lifesaver here.