Mothers are undertaking long walk in a rain hit remote village in Uttarakhand to get their babies vaccinated. The tiring and long walk, negotiating the rough terrain, varies from 6 to 12 kms, from village to hospital and back.

Holding their babies on hand and passing through challenging conditions, ladies are facing tough time in the Monsoon season. The case is related to village Jara Jibali in district Pithoragarh where their 20 kms long connecting mototrable presently remains blocked due to landslide. This remote village of Dharchula block is home to 310 families.

The scattered nine hamlets (Tok) of Jara Jibali is alike any other remote village of Uttarakhand, with green forest and picturesque location. But, the problem of accessible health facilities remains a distant dream.

The newly constructed Bangapani-Jara Jibali road remains block due to slide and continuous rainfall has created hurdle in early clearance. With no option left, the women are forced to undertake 6 to 12 Km foot march for reaching the nearest health care centre and returning to the village. The distance varies as each hamlet is located distance away from other.

Jara Jibali’s village head Prema Devi says, “The condition is miserable. Women had to walk big distance for reaching the hospital at Bangapani. As the vaccination day is fixed, no other option was there except to walk and spend about 6-7 hours in the whole exercise.”

A sub health centre of the state government exits at Bangapani, located 90 kms from district headquarters Pithoragarh. Bangapani is a small market place with 40 shops where local people buy their daily need items.

This week six mother from Jara Jibali came with their babies and three other with small kids for getting the vaccination at Bangapani.

Auxiliary nurse midwife Madhvi Bhatt said, “The village ladies narrated their tale of reaching the hospital by walking long distance, in replay I told them that I too had to walk 3 kms for reaching the health centre from Baram. We had a good laugh.”

Clear weather prevailed on Wednesday, helping the villagers to reach the hospital. Had it rained many would have dropped the plan to visit Bangapani.

A government health centre in a remote location faces all sorts of problem- small facilities like electricity and fridge are scare. As pharmacist Puran Singh Bisht says, “We get the vaccines on ice pack and keep them in fridge of villagers. The local people fully cooperates us.”

The Auxiliary nurse midwife has the responsibility of conducting vaccinations at different centres. In order to keep the drug fresh the unused vaccinations are taken 15 kms away to Baram, for storing them at the community health centre. Local resident Vikram Singh Bisht rues, “The women had to risk their life for reaching the hospital. It’s sad that the government has left the disaster-affected people on their own fate. The government should do something for us.”

The villagers had to walk on damaged road, slippery conditions, crossing waterfalls, fallen logs, etc to reach Bangapani. The villagers are praying for the weather to improve and the blocked road to open for easing their daily life.