Daijiworld Media Network - Kishtwar
Kishtwar, May 31: The lack of adequate healthcare facilities in remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir once again came under scrutiny after a pregnant woman from a remote village in Kishtwar district lost her unborn child while being taken for medical treatment.
Shaista Begum, a resident of Deharna village in Marwah tehsil, went into labour on Saturday afternoon. With no proper road connectivity or ambulance service available in the village, family members were forced to carry her on their shoulders for several kilometres through rugged mountain terrain to reach the nearest motorable road.
The family then hired a vehicle and rushed her to a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Nawapachi. However, they found that no gynaecologist was available at the facility.
With no specialist healthcare services available in the Marwah valley, the family decided to undertake a 120-km journey to the Government Medical College in Anantnag, spending their savings in a desperate attempt to save the mother and child.
The route passes through the snow-bound Margan Pass, known for its steep bends and hazardous conditions. During the journey, the unborn baby died in the mother's womb before she could receive specialised medical care.
"Every pregnancy here is a gamble with death. We have a PHC in name, but no doctor inside. When labour starts, we carry our women and pray the mountains don't take them," said the woman's husband, Nasir Hussain Lone.
The Marwah valley, home to more than 30,000 residents, continues to face a severe shortage of healthcare infrastructure. Locals said the PHC at Nawapachi caters to dozens of villages but frequently functions without specialist doctors.
Pregnant women are often referred to hospitals in Anantnag or Kishtwar towns, both located more than 100 km away and accessible only through difficult mountain roads.
Residents said the situation becomes even more critical during winter when heavy snowfall shuts down Margan Pass for months, cutting off the valley from emergency medical services.
The tragedy has renewed demands from villagers for the appointment of a full-time gynaecologist and the deployment of a round-the-clock ambulance service at Marwah.
Expressing frustration over repeated hardships faced by residents, an elderly villager from Deharna asked, "How many more mothers must we carry before the government listens? How many more babies must we lose?"
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by people living in remote mountainous regions, where access to timely healthcare remains a major concern.