108 ambulance breaks down in Dhenkanal, patient shifted to hospital in another vehicle

A 108 ambulance broke down while on its way to bring a patient in Dhenkanal district’s Parjang block, at Gengutia on Sunday. The incident occurred when the vehicle, after picking up the patient, suddenly failed to restart. 

Later, smoke reportedly billowed from it. The patient was eventually shifted to the hospital in another vehicle, while the ambulance remains stranded in the village in an immobile state.

Also Read: Tragedy in Rayagada: Woman Sarpanch dies of snakebite after ambulance fails to arrive on time

Repeated Lapses in Emergency Service

This incident adds to the growing list of failures of the 108 ambulance service in Odisha. 

On August 6, sarpanch Mangi Kadaraka of Kulisadar Panchayat in Rayagada district died after being bitten by a snake. The incident took place around 2:30 am while she was asleep. Her family immediately called for an ambulance, but it arrived nearly an hour later due to a problem with its lights, delaying treatment. She was admitted to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors treated her for about an hour before declaring her dead.

Delay Leads to Tragedy in Koraput

In another case reported on September 3, an elderly man died in Pipalpada village under the Laxmipur police station limits of Koraput district after allegedly waiting nearly five hours for an ambulance. The deceased, identified as Lalu Mandinga, had been attacked by miscreants over Rs 1,300 and was left critically injured.

Ambulance Pushed After Breakdown

On August 30, yet another ambulance incident was reported when a 108 vehicle broke down near Deogaon while returning from Bonai District Headquarters Hospital. The driver and staff were forced to push the vehicle along the road shortly after it had dropped off a patient and was heading back to Lahunipara.

Read More: Elderly man dies in Koraput after 5-hour wait for ambulance; villagers allege negligence

The repeated instances paint a grim picture of poor 108 ambulance services and raise concerns about the lives of Odisha citizens.