A tribal woman from a remote village in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district had to be carried nearly five kilometres on a makeshift stretcher after a suspected snake bite, as an ambulance was unable to access the area due to poor road connectivity. The incident has once again highlighted the difficulties of providing emergency healthcare in isolated tribal regions.
The woman, Somru Sammakka Priya, from Kotha Karumanu Konda village, was reportedly bitten late on Saturday night while she was asleep after she suddenly felt a sharp pain. Her family examined her and noticed marks that appeared to be from a snake bite.
With no ambulance service available and no motorable road leading to the village, her relatives and other members of the tribal community decided to carry her to the nearest healthcare facility. They placed Priya on a doli, or makeshift stretcher, and transported her across rugged terrain, traversing multiple hills over a distance of about five kilometres before reaching the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Kotturu early on Sunday.
Medical staff at the PHC immediately began anti-snakebite treatment. Dr. Srinivas Dora, who examined Priya, confirmed that she was in stable condition and responding positively to the treatment.
According to local residents, the journey involved crossing nearly four hills between Kotha Karumanu Konda hamlet and Kotturu. Several tribal villagers, including Sootru Lakshman Reddy, assisted in carrying her to the health centre.
Officials said emergency medical technician (EMT) Venkat, despite being off duty, rushed to the PHC on his motorcycle after learning that a snakebite patient was on the way and that no ambulance was available.
The incident also brought attention to staffing shortages at the rural health centre. Local sources said no doctors were present when Priya arrived, prompting nursing staff to begin emergency treatment before physicians reached the facility.
Authorities and health officials have since initiated an inquiry into the incident and are assessing emergency healthcare services in the region. They said efforts are underway to improve ambulance access and ensure sufficient anti-venom supplies at healthcare centres serving remote tribal communities.
