Carried on cot because there are no roads, Telangana tribal man dies on way to clinic

Villagers carried Jogaiah to the nearest clinic on a cot as there is no road connectivity from their village.

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A 50-year-old patient belonging to the Guthi Koya tribe in Regulagudem, Mangampeta mandal, Bhupalapally district in Telangana died on the way while being carried to the hospital on a cot on Sunday. However, the incident came to light only on Monday.

Living in a remote area with no road access, villagers had to carry the patient, Jogaiah, on a cot to the nearest clinic in Mangampeta, 8 km away, but he succumbed on the way.

According to reports, Jogaiah had been ill for more than a month. Last week his condition deteriorated further, prompting the villagers to take him to the hospital. But as the hospital wasn’t nearby and there was no road, he had to be carried on a cot by two persons.

However, authorities claim it is the Koyas who are to be blamed for Jogaiah’s death.

Authorities say that the Guthi Koya tribe, who belong to Chhattisgarh, are staying illegally in the forest reserve area, from where no hospital is accessible.

Speaking to TNM, V Chakradhar Rao, project officer, Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Eturnagaram, said, “I summoned the authorities after learning about the incident. The problem is that they are staying in a forest reserve area, which is illegal. We have pleaded with them to come and stay in the plains on several occasions but they refuse.”

He added, “The first thing they did wrong was to transport the patient on a cot. We have provided them with stretchers for such emergencies, specially designed for carrying patients in such areas.”

“Yesterday the District Medical Health Officer visited the hamlet and conducted a health check-up for everyone, and three people tested positive for malaria. We are providing them with all the required medical assistance. We even carry out medical check-ups periodically. However, as their hamlet is inaccessible the doctors don’t go there. If the doctors visit them there regularly, we can never bring them out of the reserve area, which is now in its worst shape due to deforestation,” Rao said.

Lamenting about the deforestation in Mangampeta forest reserve, he said, “The non-tribals are exploiting the forest by using these tribes as a cover to clear the forest and convert them to agricultural land."