Kerala Villagers Carry Patients Through Forests as Ambulance Lies Idle

Residents in a forested part of Kerala have been compelled to carry sick and injured people on foot through dense woodland after the only available ambulance fell into disuse. The vehicle, which serves the local community, has been left abandoned due to an unresolved administrative dispute, leaving villagers with no motorised option for emergency medical transport.

Locals say the situation has become particularly severe for those requiring urgent hospital care, as the arduous journey through the forest on foot can delay treatment and worsen outcomes. The physical strain of carrying patients over uneven terrain adds further risk, especially for the elderly, children, and those with serious conditions.

Community members have stressed that a swift intervention by authorities to break the administrative deadlock and restore the ambulance to working condition would greatly ease the hardship. They believe that making the vehicle roadworthy again would restore a vital lifeline and significantly reduce the dangers posed by the current reliance on manual transport through the wilderness.