India: Using a motorcycle ambulance to get to hospital

The heavily forested district of Naryanpur in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh is one of the most sparsely populated in India — with about 140,000 inhabitants in an area of 4,650 square kilometers. Many villages, such as Kodoli, are at least 16 kilometers (9 miles) from passable roads. This poses major challenges for locals, especially when it comes to medical care.

The state has one of the highest maternal death rates in the country, with 137 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 births. To change that in the future, these motorcycle ambulances are ready to go. They are operated by local authorities and the Saathi organization with support from UNICEF. Bhupesh Tiwari (pictured) works for Saathi and transports patients.

For a long time, it was common practice to transport sick people or pregnant women on foot on a kind of sedan chair through impassable terrain and muddy rivers. Then, in 2014, motorcycle ambulances were deployed in Narayanpur. Today there are 13 in three districts of Chhattisgarh.

The ambulances primarily take mothers to and from the hospital, but are also called upon to transport victims of snakebites and other emergencies. Lata Netam works as a nurse. She often has to push the motorcycle ambulance up steep or muddy roads to reach pregnant women in Kodoli, for example.

Phagni Poyam (23), who is nine months pregnant, made it safely to a hospital in Orchha on one of the motorcycle ambulances. Her severe iron deficiency was discovered and treated in time. In centers specially attached to the hospital, pregnant women also have the option of staying until they give birth.

Those who make it to the village on motorcycle ambulances also pay a visit the market. There, they can not only buy food but also be tested for malaria or diabetes. However, even those who have walked all the way to Orchha take advantage of the offer, because confidence in the medical care is growing.