Boudh: Raising questions on the efficacy of the State government's efforts to ensure timely and accessible healthcare, an ailing man reportedly succumbed after an ambulance failed to reach his village in Boudh district of Odisha here today.

The deceased was identified as Sadashiv Danayaka of Baliduhuli village of Khuntabandha panchayat within Boudh Sadar police limits.

As per reports, Sadashiv was ailing and his condition deteriorated on Thursday morning after which family members called up the 108 ambulance service. However, the ambulance could not reach the village on time as the road was in dilapidated state due to continuous rains and a tree had fallen blocking the route. While Sadashiv succumbed a while later, family members attributed his death to non-availability of emergency medical services on time. They claimed that he could have survived had the ambulance reached them immediately.

Following the incident, locals expressed serious resentment at the government's tall claims of progress and development when people are struggling with lack of infrastructure as basic as timely healthcare and road connectivity