Poor road connectivity leaves villagers carrying patients on their shoulders in Arunachal's Mane

A lack of all-weather road connectivity in Mane village under the 36th Nari-Koyu Assembly Constituency in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Siang district has emerged as a major challenge for residents, particularly those requiring urgent medical attention.

A video from the village showing residents carrying a patient on their shoulders through difficult terrain has brought renewed attention to the connectivity problems faced by the remote community. With roads inaccessible to ambulances, villagers are reportedly compelled to transport sick and injured people manually when they need to reach healthcare facilities.

The situation has raised concerns over access to emergency medical services in the village. In the absence of motorable road connectivity, patients requiring immediate treatment may have to depend on family members and fellow villagers to cover difficult stretches before they can access road transport.

Residents said the absence of a reliable all-weather road has been a longstanding issue in Mane and other similarly situated villages in the region. They have sought better roads and bridges, dependable public transport, ambulance services and improved healthcare infrastructure.

The community has also called for an accessible healthcare centre or sub-centre to reduce the need for patients to travel long distances for basic and emergency medical services.

With Arunachal Pradesh marking its Golden Jubilee year of statehood, the incident has once again highlighted the gap in basic infrastructure and last-mile connectivity in some remote settlements of the state.

Residents have urged the authorities to treat road connectivity, emergency transport and primary healthcare facilities in Mane as priority infrastructure requirements and ensure that the village is connected through a dependable all-weather road network.