Chennai, March 12 (BPNS)

Poor road facilities and lack of hospital or Primary Health Centre have led to a tribal family in Isalattu near the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Tamil Nadu carrying an unwell, elderly woman in a cloth cradle to a general hospital in the main settlement.

According to tribal leader Madhusoodanan, the tribal community in Isalattu had to carry M. Mayammal(54) in a cloth cradle through the Anamalai Tiger Reserve to the government hospital in Jallipatti. While the tribal settlement is at the top of the hill in ATR, the hospital at Jallipatti is 5 km down the foothill.

Madhusoodanan who along with the family members of Mayammal carried her to the foothills to the hospital in Jalippati said that the road they traversed was full of rocks and potholes and was also slippery. However, the tribal members carried her safely into the hospital and she is now undergoing treatment at the hospital.

R. Muthuswamy, another person in the tribal colony while speaking to BPNS said, “ There are no connecting roads, nor do we have a PHC here to attend to the immediate medical needs of people. Carrying an ill person for treatment to the foothills is difficult and possibility of slipping is high. The forest department must come up with a new road so that vehicular movement is here for a medical emergency at least.”

The forest department officials, when contacted said that the tribal settlement of Mayammal is in the core area of Anamalai Tiger Reserve and it was very difficult for permission to cut a road. The department officials said that they will forward the proposal to the government for cutting a road.

It may be noted that there are 70 families in Isalattu settlement deep in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) and if someone gets unwell and that person is bedridden carrying through a cloth cradle is the only option.