A lack of road and bridge access once again turned into a health emergency in Chhindwara’s Amarwada area, where a pregnant woman in Lohari Mohalla of Hathoda village went into labour while her family was carrying her on a cot across a river.

The incident took place on Thursday evening, and a video of the ordeal surfaced on Friday, triggering anger in the village and fresh criticism of the administration. Residents said they have been demanding a bridge in the area for years, but no concrete work has been done so far.

Around 20 families live in Lohari Mohalla, and reaching the settlement requires crossing a river. During the rainy season, the water level rises and the area is cut off from the rest of the village. That makes it extremely difficult to transport patients in time.

Local resident Gopal Vishwakarma said his sister-in-law, 35-year-old Savita Vishwakarma, wife of Shankar Vishwakarma, suddenly developed severe labour pain on Thursday evening. The family immediately called an ambulance, but the vehicle could not reach the village. With the situation getting worse, villagers placed her on a cot and began carrying her across the river.

The delivery happened mid-way through the journey. After that, the mother and the newborn were somehow taken across the river, but the ambulance still did not arrive for a long time. In the end, both were taken to hospital on a bike. Officials and locals said both are now safe.

The incident has once again exposed the poor state of rural healthcare access and basic infrastructure in the area. Locals said that in emergencies, neither an ambulance nor any alternative vehicle can reach the hamlet in time. The situation becomes even more difficult during the monsoon.

Residents have now demanded urgent construction of a bridge, better road connectivity and 24-hour health services. They said if proper facilities had been in place, the woman would not have had to be carried on a cot and then transported by bike after delivery.

The case is being seen not just as a village-level problem, but as a reminder of how lack of infrastructure in remote settlements can quickly turn into a medical emergency. Villagers now want the authorities to move beyond assurances and show actual work on the ground.