Dhenkanal: In an extremely tragic incident, a three year-old boy reportedly died due to delayed medical treatment after an 108 ambulance failed to arrive on time in Kankadahada block of Odisha's Dhenkanal district on Wednesday. 

The deceased minor was identified as Raju Munda, son of Shyam Munda of Dangapala Ambataila Sahi in the block.

As per reports, Raju had gone with his friends to play in the evening when he accidentally slipped and fell into a canal nearby. On hearing screams of other children, Raju's family members and locals rushed to the spot and somehow managed to rescue him. His parents immediately contacted the 108 ambulance service but they alleged that it did not arrive on time. Left with no other option, they took Raju on a bike to Kamakhyanagar hospital. However, doctors declared him brought dead.

Following his death, Raju's mother Sumitra Munda alleged medical negligence and claimed that her son would have been saved if the ambulnace had reached on time. "Our son slipped and fell into the canal. He nearly drowned but was rescued. However, we still lost him as the ambulance did not reach on time," she claimed.

Taking up the issue which sparked considerable outrage among the villagers in the area, tribal leader Madhabananda Marandi slammed the poor healthcare infrastructure in remote areas and called upon the government to ensure timely medical access for poor people. "There have been many cases of 108 ambulances being unable to reach on time in emergencies resulting in deaths that could have been avoided. The government must address this gap in the healthcare system," he said.