# Rural Indian infrastructure hindering medical access > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/rural-indian-infrastructure-hindering-medical-access > Updated: 2026-08-17T03:38:28.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. In India, inadequate infrastructure and poor road conditions have repeatedly obstructed emergency medical access for pregnant women in rural areas. Initial reports highlighted incidents in Agra, where a woman in labor had to be transported across a river on a cot because an ambulance could not reach her village due to the absence of a bridge. In the Koraput district of Odisha, another woman had to be carried on a stretcher for 3 km to reach an ambulance that was blocked by poor road conditions. Subsequent reports from Odisha detailed further complications in the Kalahandi and Deogarh districts. In Kalahandi, a mother and newborn had to be carried on a stretcher to reach an ambulance due to non-motorable roads. In Deogarh, heavy rainfall caused a stream to swell, forcing family members to carry a pregnant woman across a flooded bridge. Residents noted that such bridge submersions occur annually during the monsoon, creating recurring hazards for medical emergencies. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-17: Odisha infrastructure gaps hinder emergency medical access Poor road infrastructure and flooding in Odisha have forced families to carry pregnant women and newborns on stretchers and across submerged bridges to reach emergency medical services. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/odisha-infrastructure-gaps-hinder-emergency-medical-access ### 2026-08-14: Infrastructure gaps hinder emergency medical access for pregnant women in India Poor road conditions and lack of bridges in rural India have forced pregnant women to be ferried across rivers on cots or carried on stretchers to reach emergency medical services. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/infrastructure-gaps-hinder-emergency-medical-access-for-pregnant-women-in-india --- Cite as: Rural Indian infrastructure hindering medical access. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/rural-indian-infrastructure-hindering-medical-access