Child dies as ambulance gets stuck in traffic jam in Odisha capital

Bhubaneswar: In a highly unfortunate incident, a five-year-old boy died as the ambulance in which he was being shifted to a private hospital allegedly got stuck in traffic jam in Odisha capital, today.

According to family sources, the child was admitted to the Capital Hospital here due to relentless vomiting. The attending doctor later referred him to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as his condition deteriorated.

However, kin of the child decided to take him to a private hospital in Patia here for treatment. The ambulance carrying the patient and his family members got stuck at various junctions while heading towards the destination through Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan Road.

The child’s father alighted from the ambulance and requested commuters to give way for movement of the vehicle, but in vain. Traffic police officers also failed to clear the road for free passage of the ambulance, reports said.

It took the ambulance an hour and twenty minutes to reach the private hospital, where doctor declared the boy dead. The deceased’s family members alleged that the child couldn’t reach the hospital in time due to traffic snarl and breathed his last.