Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi. A 21-year-old pregnant woman in a remote village of Polewali Mandar Regency had to be carried on a makeshift stretcher for 20 kilometers to reach medical help due to severely damaged infrastructure. The journey, which took over 10 hours during Ramadan, forced the residents assisting her to break their fast in the forest.

Kurnia, a resident of Ratte Village in the Tubbi Taramanu (Tutar) subdistrict, could not be transported by ambulance as the village is only accessible by motorcycle. With no proper roads, locals tied a plastic chair to bamboo poles and carried her from the Suppungan Health Post to an ambulance waiting in Taramanu Tua Village.

The trek began on Monday at 8:00 a.m., navigating rugged terrain and river crossings. Residents stopped frequently to rest and monitor Kurnia’s condition before finally arriving around 10:00 p.m. She was then referred to Wonomulyo Pratama Hospital for a cesarean section.

Ratte Village Head Habri said this was not an isolated case. Due to poor road access, many sick residents and pregnant women must be carried to health centers.

“For policymakers in Polewali Mandar, today we had to carry another patient for 20 kilometers to get medical care,” Habri said on Tuesday. “We urgently need a solution to these road conditions.”

This case underscores the pressing need for infrastructure improvements, particularly in remote areas, to ensure access to healthcare.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Ministry faces a budget cut of Rp 81.38 trillion in 2025 as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to reduce national spending by Rp 306 trillion (about $18.7 billion). Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo warned that routine maintenance for 47,603 kilometers of roads and 563,402 meters of bridges would be halted, along with all new bridge construction projects.

“This budget cut forces us to stop critical road and bridge maintenance, along with several community-based projects,” Dody said recently.