Shiv Sena (UBT) targets govt: Maharashtra tribal areas lack roads, ambulances

Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday criticised the Maharashtra government over what it described as continuing deficiencies in basic healthcare and transport infrastructure in remote tribal areas of the stateIn an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana the Thackeray faction alleged that the governments claims of rapid development had not translated into adequate basic amenities in tribal regions such as Nandurbar and GadchiroliMaharashtrarsquos rulers beat their drums about reforms day in and day out yet this progress has failed to reach the states remote tribal areas The struggle and long treks of poor tribals for medical treatment continue unabated the editorial stated pointing to shortages of roads emergency ambulances hearse vehicles healthcare personnel and essential medicinesEditorial cites incidents from Nandurbar GadchiroliThe editorial referred to two recent incidents to highlight the difficulties faced by people living in remote areasIn VehgiBaripada from the tribal dominated Nandurbar district a pregnant woman Phulwanti Devram Padvi was forced to trek seven kms late at night on a makeshift bambooandcloth stretcher jholi due to the complete absence of roads and river bridges After delivering her child at the Pimpalkhuta health centre she and her newborn had to be carried back another seven kms on the same stretcher it saidIt also cited an incident in Gadchiroli in which according to the editorial parents walked 15 km carrying the bodies of their two children after they were unable to get an ambulance or hearse van from local authoritiesThe editorial also raised concerns over children crossing rivers using rope bridges snakebite deaths among girls staying in hostels without adequate beds and child malnutrition in areas such as MelghatOpposition targets lsquodigital and smart healthcarersquo pushThe Thackeray faction also referred to an earlier Bombay High Court observation that child malnutrition among tribals is not an isolated problem but a failure of government machinery and alleged that the administration had remained dangerously lethargic and unresponsive to judicial warningsThe editorial also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over recent claims concerning smart and digital healthcare services arguing that basic infrastructure should be addressed alongside technological initiativesBefore flying the kite of digital and smart healthcare the state government must first halt the daily struggles build basic roads and ensure emergency transportation for tribal communities the editorial concludedWith inputs from IANS