A 50-year-old man from Telangana, identified as one Madakam Jogaiah, died on Sunday, November 19, because he could not get timely treatment for fever: Members of his family said they had to carry him on a wooden cot for 5 km to a medical facility because there was no ambulance service in the area due to bad roads, and he died on the way.
Jogaiah, from Telengana's Gothi Koya tribe in the Bhupalpally district, was a resident of the Rekulagudem hamlet. He had high fever and had to be taken to the medical facility, but their efforts were in vein.
Local reports say a health worker from the nearby Kamalapur primary health centre initially came by to treat Jogaiah and gave him some medical aid. However, since the medicine didn't help, the family decided to admit him to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Eturunagaram, about 5 km from the village.
The doctor who declared Jogaiah dead was quoted by Mumbai Mirror as saying: "Unfortunately, these Gutti Koya tribals, who had migrated to this part of Telangana from Chhattisgarh several years ago, refuse to come to the roadside villages despite our sustained persuasion."
He added: "They have made their homes in the very remote habitations, which are not accessible. Still, we send our health workers regularly and we also conduct health camps."
Jogaiah's kin have alleged that they were unable to take him to the nearest hospital due to lack of transportation, and that he was ill over the past one month, according to a New Indian Express report. They have blamed the government for the lack of transportation links to their area.
Reports also said this incident comes at a time when the state authorities are engaged in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and are welcoming global leaders over development projects in Hyderabad.
V Chakardhar Rao, Eturnagaram Integrated Tribal development Agency (ITDA) project officer, has meanwhile claimed that all the tribal habitations are well connected, and that the health centres are accessible to the remote areas. He added: "We will probe the incident."
