The peripheral areas in Lakhimpur district have been witnessing a huge gap in healthcare services for poor connectivity for a long period of time.

On Monday a school teacher Indreswar Chamuah (50) of Akhoiphutia village near Ghilamora died while being carried on a bamboo stretcher to the hospital.

No proper road connectivity to Akhoiphutia village under Dewaliya Gaon Panchayat is there and ambulances could not reach the villagers on medical emergencies.

The main reason for the poor connectivity to the village is the bamboo bridge over Amgurighat.

The same poor connectivity in that region has also disrupted the COVID care services during the pandemic.

On Saturday an EMT staff of Ghilamora had to carry a COVID-19 patient on his back for half a kilometre as the 108 ambulances could not reach his home.

Gopal Saikia carrying a COVID-19 patient on his back

The EMT staff Gopal Saikia has since then being applauded for his exemplary service everywhere and the video of him carrying the COVID patient went viral on social media, it sadly reminds again the dismal communication bottlenecks in the rural areas of Lakhimpur district.

Farhana Ahmed is Northeast Now Correspondent in North Lakhimpur. She can be reached at: [email protected]