In a tragic twist of fate, a state transport bus driver and conductor’s brave efforts to save a four-year-old tribal boy in Gadchiroli’s Maoist heartland proved unsuccessful on Monday. Despite their actions, the boy, Aryan Talande, could not be rescued, but the incident highlighted poor healthcare infrastructure in the district. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) driver Gaurav Amle and conductor Milan Gavai diverted their Bhamragarh-Nagpur route to Allapalli, with nearly 45 passengers aboard, in an urgent bid to seek medical aid for the child.
The MSRTC bus bound for Nagpur from Nagpur’s Imambada depot was traveling through Perimili when the Talande family, with their child wrapped in a bedsheet due to the unavailability of an ambulance or other transport in the early hours, boarded the bus. It was during this time that conductor Gavai noticed Aryan experiencing convulsions in his mother’s arms.
The Talande family from Koreli village in Aheri taluka has rushed Aryan, suffering from complications of jaundice, to the Perimili primary health centre (PHC), located 3km from their village, when his condition worsened. Staff at Perimili PHC referred him to Aheri’s taluka-level rural hospital for advanced care due to better facilities there. Anxious and holding the child in their arms, the family watched as Aryan’s condition appeared to worsen.
The compassionate act of a bus driver and conductor in aiding a boy in need highlights the challenges faced by rural healthcare facilities, including limited infrastructure and ambulance shortages. The incident showcases the importance of timely medical assistance in remote areas.