Girl, aunt die due to snakebite; kin allege lack of anti-venom injections at hospital

Thane, Sep 30 (PTI) A four-year-old girl and her soon-to-be-married aunt died following bites by a highly venomous snake in Dombivli town of Thane district, Maharashtra health department officials said on Tuesday.

The relatives and local activists blamed the civic hospital for not stocking anti-venom injections and delays in treatment.

Pranvi Vicky Bhoir and her aunt Shruti Anil Thakur (24) were bitten by a 'manyar' (common krait) on Sunday night as they were asleep at a relative's house in Thakurli Khambalpada area of Dombivli.

Family members rushed both to the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation's (KDMC) Shastri Nagar Hospital.

Doctors started the standard snake bite treatment. An hour later, Bhoir's health rapidly deteriorated, and the doctors advised shifting the girl to the municipal Chhatrapati Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa.

However, the girl died near the hospital entrance while being taken to a private vehicle, with her kin alleging that the municipal corporation failed to provide a doctor or cardiac ambulance for almost an hour.

Thakur, who was undergoing treatment at Shastri Nagar Hospital, died on Tuesday, doctors told the media.

The families of the deceased alleged negligence, and demanded that a case of culpable homicide be registered against doctors and health department officials concerned.

Chief Medical Officer of Shastri Nagar Hospital, Dr Yogesh Chaudhary, countered the allegations.

"As soon as the girl was admitted, necessary treatment was started. As her health deteriorated, she was sent to Kalwa in a private ambulance within 20 minutes," he said.

The relatives, on the other hand, alleged that the hospital did not have Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) injections.

Activist Satyawan Mhatre, accompanied by Bhalchandra Patil and others, staged a sit-in protest at the hospital.

Medical Health Officer Dr Deepa Shukla assured that a thorough investigation would be carried out into the deaths, after which the protest was called off.

Shruti Thakur had recently been engaged and was scheduled to marry next month.

"The house that was buzzing with wedding preparations is now grief-stricken," a relative said.

Former corporator Sudhir Basre said all municipal and government hospitals must have ASV injections in stock at all times. PTI COR RSY KRK