TV
A three-year-old child from Dhenkanal district died after an 108 ambulance allegedly failed to arrive on time, delaying his treatment. The incident, which occurred at Dangapal Ambataila Sahi under Kankadahad block, has sparked outrage among the locals.
The deceased child, identified as Raju Munda and son of Shyam Munda, reportedly slipped and fell into a canal near his home. He was rescued, and the family immediately contacted the 108 ambulance service to take him to Kamakhyanagar Hospital.
However, the family claimed that the ambulance never arrived on time. In desperation, they transported the child to the hospital on a motorbike. Upon arrival at Kamakhyanagar Hospital, doctors declared the child dead.
“He had gone to take a bath with his friends; he probably slipped and fell into the canal and nearly drowned. When the ambulance was called, they said they would not come. As a last resort, we brought our child to the hospital on a motorbike,” the grieving mother alleged.
Repeated Issues With Ambulance Services
Tribal leader Madhabananda Marandi urged the government to take responsibility. “I urge the government to take responsibility and ensure that 108 ambulance services reach people on time. On several occasions, we have seen these services fail to function properly.”
He further alleged, “Sometimes, due to poor maintenance or no maintenance at all, ambulances break down midway. Even after half an hour or an hour, they often fail to reach the patients.”
Responding to the allegations, the 108 ambulance service provider agency, in a written reply, stated that “Upon reviewing our backend records, we found no evidence of any call received on 16th July 2025 pertaining to the patient mentioned in the news either by name or from the stated location. Therefore, we can confirm that no ambulance service request was made to our call center in connection with this incident.”
