Two youths who were swept away while taking a bath in the Ib River near Budhipadar village in Jharsuguda district were later declared dead at the hospital, triggering allegations of medical negligence by their families and relatives on Sunday.
The deceased have been identified as Pankaj Kumar Sahu and Abhiram Sahu, both from the Sadar police station area. According to sources, the duo, Pankaj and Abhiram, got into difficulty while bathing in the river as they were pulled into deep waters.
Locals present nearby came to their rescue and pulled them, following which they were rushed to the local hospital. Family members alleged that despite being rescued alive, critical delays in providing medical assistance complicated their conditions.
They claimed that the ambulance took a long time to reach the spot. Worse, treatment at the hospital was also delayed after the victims were brought in. Relatives alleged that the delay in emergency response and medical attention contributed to the deaths of the two youths.
The incident sparked anger among family members and locals, leading to a tense situation at the Jharsuguda District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). They demanded a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the treatment provided to the victims.
“Today, a very tragic incident occurred in Jharsuguda. Near the railway bridge, the river ghat is very risky, and there is no guard at the spot. We were bathing there when we saw a woman running and screaming that they were drowning. My friend, I and a few others—we were about five to six people—went and pulled them out of the river,” an eyewitness and resident of Bombay Chhak, Umakanta Samal, said.
“We had called the ambulance vehicle nearly 15 minutes before that. It was delayed in arriving because the driver did not know the location. When it finally arrived, we put him on the stretcher and kept him inside. First of all, no one even touched the patient here. The ambulance stood outside for over 15 minutes. You can check the CCTV footage if there is one,” Umakanta expressed.
Hospital authorities have not yet publicly responded to the allegations. Further investigation is expected to determine the exact sequence of events and whether any lapse occurred in emergency medical care.
No comments were received from the local police in this regard.