Girl, aunt die of snakebites in Thane district; kin claim negligence in treatment at civic hospital

Thane, Sep 30 (PTI) A four-and-a-half-year-old girl and her aunt aged 24 died following bites from a highly venomous snake in Dombivli town of Thane district, Maharashtra health department officials said on Tuesday.

The victims, Pranvi Vicky Bhoir, and her aunt Shruti Anil Thakur, were bitten by a 'manyar' (cobra/ common krait) snake on Sunday night while sleeping at their relative's house in the Thakurli Khambalpada area of Dombivli, they said.

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

Doctors at the hospital initially examined them and started standard snake bite prevention treatment. An hour later, Bhoir's health rapidly deteriorated, and doctors advised shifting her to Chhatrapati Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa.

However, the girl died near the hospital entrance while being moved towards a private vehicle as kin alleged the municipality failed to provide a doctor or a cardiac ambulance for an hour.

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

The families of the deceased alleged critical delays and negligence in their treatment at the civic-run hospital 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 of negligence and delays.

Chaudhary stated: "As soon as the girl, who was bitten by a poisonous snake, was admitted to Shastri Nagar Hospital, necessary immediate treatment was started on her. As the girl's health deteriorated, she was sent to Kalwa for further treatment in a private ambulance within 20 minutes. All the documents of the treatment and ambulance are available at the hospital." PTI COR RSY