Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Abandoned Ambulance Leaves Kerala Tribal Patients Facing Perilous Journeys
Edamalakkudy is a remote tribal area in Kerala with very few roads and bridges.
An ambulance was donated there in 2023 to help sick people reach hospitals.
The ambulance has stopped working and is parked near Adimali.
It has not been properly maintained and is beginning to rust.
Recently, four patients had to be carried across steep hills and dangerous forest rivers.
Local officials say repair payments are difficult because of government and technical rules.
Villagers say the ambulance has actually been broken for about six months.
They want authorities to fix it quickly so patients can travel more safely.
An ambulance donated to Edamalakkudy in 2023 is now non-operational.
Four sick patients were recently carried through hills and forest rivers to reach a hospital.
The ambulance is parked near Adimali in Idukki and has reportedly rusted without proper maintenance.
Panchayat leaders cite payment rules and procedural hurdles delaying repairs.
Residents say the vehicle has been unusable for six months, longer than the panchayat's stated one-month timeline.
- Who
- Residents of Edamalakkudy, local panchayat leaders, and Petronet LNG Limited are involved.
- What
- A donated ambulance is non-operational while residents carry patients through difficult terrain to hospitals.
- When
- The ambulance was provided in 2023; officials cite a repair delay of over a month, while locals say it has been unusable for six months.
- Where
- Edamalakkudy in Idukki, Kerala; the ambulance is parked near Adimali.
- Why
- Repairs are stalled over technical and procedural rules concerning direct payment to the manufacturer and panchayat funding mechanisms.
Panchayat Explanation
Residents' Account
Length of the breakdown
Panchayat Explanation
Panchayat president Binu M said the repair process has been stalled for over a month.
Residents' Account
Residents say the ambulance has been non-operational for approximately six months.
Reason for repair delay
Panchayat Explanation
Panchayat leaders attribute the delay to technical rules requiring direct payment to the manufacturer and a lack of suitable panchayat funding mechanisms.
Residents' Account
Locals want authorities to immediately resolve the administrative stalemate and restore the ambulance because patients continue facing severe transport difficulties.
- Ambulance provider
- Petronet LNG Limited provided the ambulance through its corporate social responsibility funds.
- Recipient
- Edamalakkudy, Kerala's first and only exclusively tribal Gram Panchayat.
- Current condition
- The ambulance is non-operational, abandoned near Adimali, and reportedly rusting.
- Recent hardship
- Four sick patients were carried across steep hills and hazardous forest rivers to reach a hospital.
- Local population
- The Muthuvan community lives across 26 remote hamlets, or kudis.
- Administrative structure
- All 13 electoral wards in Edamalakkudy are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
- Repair dispute
- Panchayat leaders cite payment and funding hurdles, while residents dispute how long the ambulance has been unusable.