: Alleging serious lapses in emergency medical care at a government health facility that led to delayed treatment and ultimately the death of a 10-year-old boy who suffered a snakebite in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district recently, the family of the deceased has demanded strict action against those concerned.
They also alleged that two crucial hours were lost due to the non-availability of an ambulance at the community health centre (CHC) where the boy was rushed within minutes of the incident.
The boy, bitten by a snake around 5.30 pm on July 6 at Manodherpur village under Triveniganj block in Haidergarh tehsil, battled for more than four hours before dying at around 10 pm at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, where he was eventually taken in a private vehicle after the ambulance allegedly failed to arrive.
According to family members, the child was first rushed to the Trivediganj CHC where doctors allegedly administered only one dose of anti-snake venom (ASV) before referring him to a higher medical centre, despite his condition continuing to deteriorate.
The family further alleged that no additional ASV was administered and that the child remained at the CHC for nearly two hours awaiting the ambulance that never arrived. As the boy’s condition worsened, relatives said they had no option but to shift him to Lucknow in a private car. By the time he reached the tertiary care hospital, it was too late.
{{/usCountry}}The family further alleged that no additional ASV was administered and that the child remained at the CHC for nearly two hours awaiting the ambulance that never arrived. As the boy’s condition worsened, relatives said they had no option but to shift him to Lucknow in a private car. By the time he reached the tertiary care hospital, it was too late.
{{/usCountry}}The incident triggered angry protests at the CHC. Videos of the confrontation have since gone viral on social media, showing relatives demanding the identities of the doctors on duty and seeking answers over the alleged failure of the ambulance service.
Responding to the allegations, Barabanki chief medical officer, Dr Ranjan Gautam said, “I will seek an explanation from the district programme manager of the ambulance service and ask him to report to my office. A show-cause notice will also be issued after a detailed review of the sequence of events.”
“I will specifically inquire why the ambulance failed to reach the CHC on time. Appropriate action will be taken against those found responsible for the lapse,” he added. On ASV, the CMO said: “The dosage of anti-snake venom is administered only after assessing the patient’s clinical condition, the severity of envenomation, and the nature of the snakebite wound.”
He claimed that all 15 CHCs and 55 PHCs in Barabanki have adequate stocks of ASV and that ambulance services are available, adding that the inquiry would determine the actual sequence of events.
Meanwhile, the family of the victim said they will meet higher officials to seek ₹4 lakh compensation that the state government provides in such cases. Snakebite incidents have been classified under the category of state-level disasters.
The incident has once again highlighted the heavy burden of snakebite deaths in Uttar Pradesh, particularly during the monsoon season.