Patient Dies Before Reaching Hospital As 108 Ambulance Breaks Down Midway In Sambalpur

The management of the emergency ambulance services has once again come under scanner, after a patient allegedly died on her way to the hospital as a 108 ambulance carrying her broke down midway in Sambalpur, on Monday afternoon.

According to sources, the tragic incident took place yesterday when a 108 Ambulance carrying a woman patient with a critical health condition was on its way to Burla Hospital from Jharsuguda. 

The patient's husband and daughter accompanied her in the ambulance. However, the 108 ambulance broke down on the National Highway after crossing Sambalpur due to some technical glitch, sources added.

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Unable to reach the hospital on time, the health condition of the patient deteriorated. The family members accompanying the patient asked the ambulance staff to take some immediate steps to shift her to the hospital. However, in the meantime, the patient died in the ambulance as another ambulance from Burla failed to reach the spot on time.  

The family of the deceased alleged that the ambulance from Burla reached after around 30 minutes at the spot. If the ambulance would have attained the patient on time, she could have reached the hospital and perhaps been saved, they said.

"My wife was being shifted from Jharsuguda hospital to Burla in an ambulance. The vehicle broke down after crossing the Hirakud level junction. The driver of the ambulance insisted me not to step out of the vehicle suspecting snatching or any mishap. However, the second ambulance from Burla hospital reached after around 30 minutes of informing. She was declared dead at the hospital, and only documentation and other formalities were carried out at the hospital," said Himanshu Nanda, deceased's husband. 

"If she would have reached the hospital on time and got immediate medical assistance, her life could have been saved," Nanda said.

He added, "The ambulance was not well maintained for which I had an altercation with the driver. The steering wheel of the vehicle was loose and which could have caused an accident due to the substandard national highway road." 

Meanwhile, 108 ambulance management and district administration could not be contacted over the incident.

(Edited By Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)