Woman dies as Kerala-K'taka border blocked, could not travel to Mangaluru
An ambulance ferrying a seriously ill 70-year-old woman from Kasaragod in Kerala to a hospital in nearby Mangaluru was allegedly not allowed by Karnataka police to cross the Thalapady border, following which the woman died on Sunday morning, her family claimed.
The woman from Karnataka had come to stay with her son in Kasaragod and was being rushed to a Mangaluru hospital after her condition deteriorated, the family said.
Kasaragod, the northernmost district of the state, does not have good medical amenities, a medical college or enough speciality hospitals, as in other parts of the state. And hence, for years altogether, people in the district, especially in and around Manjeshwaram region had been depending on the health care facilities in Mangaluru for treatment.
Like many in the district, this family too, tried to go to the hospital in Mangaluru. The family and the ambulance driver have alleged that police did not allow the vehicle to cross the border and turned it back on Saturday. The ambulance driver claimed no ambulance was being allowed to cross the border to reach Mangaluru in view of the lockdown.
The woman was taken to a primary health centre and then to her son's home, but she died on Sunday morning, the family said. Officials could not be reached for comment.
Two days ago, a seriously ill man in Kasaragod who was not allowed to be taken to a Mangaluru hospital had died. A Bihari woman, who was in labour, had given birth in an ambulance as she was not allowed to visit her doctor in the neighbouring state.
So with Karnataka sealing its border, people in the border villages of the district are facing immense difficulties.
Lorries laden with vegetables and other essentials had also been held up at Makkoottam and various other places on the border after the roads were blocked.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter, for a second time in three days. Pinarayi Vijayan specifically mentions the blockage of Thalassery-Coorg State Highway 30 by Karnataka police.
Expressing concern over the blocking of roads at different places along the border, he had said the people in the border villages are dependent on the neighbouring State for various needs and now Karnataka has blocked them out by piling truckloads of soil on the roads. This goes against the spirit of the central government, Vijayan had said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government in an explanation has said that if the route is opened, there is a possibility COVID-19 might get transmitted to Kodagu district.
But even when the Kerala government had been constantly pointing its fingers at Karnataka for closing borders, it is not being discussed why people of Kasaragod have been depending on Mangaluru for medical care.
Kasaragod district has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Kerala, with 77 positive cases.
(With inputs from PTI)
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