A family in Aasvoëlness, in Tsumkwe Constituency, is seeking answers following the death of their father.

The deceased's son alleges that repeated attempts to get emergency medical assistance were unsuccessful.

The family say they tried contacting health facilities as their father's condition worsened.

A visibly sad Trompie ǂOma said he took his father to the Tsumkwe clinic several times.

The last visit to the health facility occurred on Monday of last week, during which he was given medication and sent home.

But when his 86-year-old father's condition worsened on Saturday, attempts to get help were unsuccessful.

"I attempted to call all the numbers at the health centres, but I did not receive any response. On the following Sunday, my father passed away, and I tried sending texts to request an ambulance. The ambulance arrived to pick up a pregnant woman but left behind my father, who was weak and lying in the house. The vehicle went to Asvoelness to collect the pregnant woman and took her to Mangheti. The ambulance came from Tsumkwe, and when it arrived here, the driver was alone, without a nurse."

His stepmother, |Xaon !Amace, is now left to care for her two children, who were also fathered by the deceased. 

One of them is currently attending school in Tsumkwe.

"How will my children survive now? They will be suffering. That is what I am saying. How will my children and I manage? Just imagine, the one who is studying does not have toiletries, and she also does not have shoes. We will truly be suffering now," !Amace said. 

When contacted for comment, the regional director for the Otjozondjupa Region, Gebhardo Thimotheus, said he is not aware of the incident and that NBC News should find out from the driver why he took one patient and left the other. 

Gebhardo questioned if the ambulance was full.

The driver couldn't be reached at the time of publication, while the family maintained that the ambulance was not full, but it only picked up one patient, leaving the now-deceased behind.