Andhra: Mother carries ailing daughter for 7 km in Vizianagaram; TDP MP Vijay Chintakayala to provide ambulance after Nara Lokesh's intervention

The plight of a tribal mother who carried her ailing 12-year-old daughter on her shoulders for nearly seven kilometres to access medical treatment has brought attention to the difficulties faced by residents of Pallapu Dungada, a remote tribal hamlet in Srungavarapukota mandal of Vizianagaram district. Responding to the incident, Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Chintakayala has decided to provide an ambulance to the village through his Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds, following the intervention of Minister Nara Lokesh.

Responding to the difficulties faced by residents of a remote tribal hamlet in Vizianagaram district, TDP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Chintakayala is providing an ambulance to Pallapu Dungada village through his MPLADS funds, following the intervention of Minister Nara Lokesh. The decision comes in the wake of a distressing incident in which a tribal mother carried her 12-year-old daughter on her shoulders for nearly seven kilometres to reach medical assistance after heavy rains and poor road connectivity prevented vehicles from reaching their hamlet.

The incident occurred at Pallapu Dungada in Daraparthi Panchayat of Srungavarapukota mandal. The girl, identified as Janni Sampoorna, fell ill and was unable to walk. With no motorable road connecting the settlement, her mother, reported as Sunkaramma, carried her through difficult terrain to the foothills near Dabbagunta. She subsequently hired an auto-rickshaw to take the child to a private hospital for treatment. The mother also carried her daughter back home after the treatment.

The incident brought renewed attention to the challenges faced by tribal families in accessing emergency healthcare, particularly during the rainy season. Moved by the incident, Minister Nara Lokesh called for immediate intervention to address the village’s emergency transportation needs. Responding to his initiative, MP Vijay Chintakayala decided to provide an ambulance to the village using his MPLADS funds.

“This is my small part. No mother should ever have to be her child’s ambulance,” said Vijay Chintakayala. The incident has also highlighted the longstanding road connectivity problem in the area. Media reports indicate that a 6.5-kilometre road to Pallapu Dungada, sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) nearly eight years ago at an estimated cost of ₹4.90 crore, remains incomplete. The stalled project continues to affect the movement of residents and access to essential services.

The proposed ambulance is intended to improve emergency transportation for residents of the hamlet and provide timely access to medical facilities. (ANI)