Meet Omkar Hota, who carried a pregnant woman to hospital on cot for 12 km

For many, Hota's journey with the patient is proof of how an individual can make a difference when the system fails

In remote, inaccessible parts of Odisha, it is not uncommon to see patients being carried to hospitals on cots for miles. Every now and then, this image is used to draw attention to the poor condition of healthcare in the state. 

But recently, this picture was reversed, when a doctor trekked 12 km to attend to a pregnant tribal woman in a far-flung village. The woman’s condition was grim, and the doctor, Omkar Hota, realised she needed to be taken to hospital. There was only one way of doing so — by ferrying the patient on a cot. Through the trek