No roads, Edamalakudy villagers carry 75-year-old on makeshift stretcher to hospital

Edamalakudy, Kerala's only tribal panchayat in Idukki, continues to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The absolute lack of basic road connectivity has once again put human lives at risk, forcing villagers to carry an elderly man on a makeshift stretcher through a treacherous forest path to reach the nearest hospital.

Malayappan, a 75-year-old resident of the settlement, had been bedridden with a severe fever for several days. With no motorable roads or emergency transport available, the locals had to take matters into their own hands. They fashioned a rudimentary stretcher, using wild forest vines and sturdy wood logs, and carried the elderly patient on their shoulders through a crumbling forest trail to Adimali Taluk Hospital.

This is not an isolated incident but a grim, recurring reality for the inhabitants of Edamalakudy. Last year, a young tribal boy, Karthik, lost his life after being denied timely medical attention due to the absence of proper transport and roads. Despite such tragedies, administrative apathy remains unchanged.

For years, the residents have been demanding the construction of a crucial four-kilometre road connecting Kudalarkudi to Anakulam. However, despite multiple pleas to various government authorities, no action has been taken. At present, the only access to the area is a dilapidated, narrow footpath winding through the thick forest.

According to villagers, the situation turns particularly perilous during the monsoon season. Heavy rains make the uneven path extremely slippery and prone to landslides, turning any medical emergency into a life-threatening ordeal, especially for pregnant women, children, and the elderly. The residents of Edamalakudy have once again appealed to the government to urgently construct the Kudalarkudi–Anakulam road and ensure basic transport facilities before more lives are lost.