A death following a snakebite sparked allegations of medical negligence in Angul district on Thursday. The deceased woman has been identified as Sukanti Sahu, a resident of Burubura village under Pallahara subdivision. She died after an alleged delay in treatment at local government-run health facility.
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According to family members, Sukanti was bitten by a venomous snake, suspected to be a cobra, on Wednesday evening. She was immediately rushed to Khamar Community Health Centre (CHC) for immediate medical attention. However, her condition worsened, and she later succumbed, with relatives blaming the hospital staff for negligence.
The family alleged that despite clear indications of a venomous snakebite, the hospital staff delayed administering urgent treatment, citing the need for blood sample testing. They claim that even after informing doctors about the nature of the snakebite, immediate life-saving measures were not initiated, ultimately leading to her death.
“A nurse took blood from the vein. She told me it would be half an hour, then 45 minutes, and then it took four hours. After four hours, they took her (Sukanti) to bed. At 9.45, when she was admitted, taken to bed and put on IV fluids, they first gave an injection. Then they put her on a saline drip, and the patient showed deterioration. Foams started coming out of her mouth, and her eyes turned red. Gradually, her body also turned black,” the deceased’s son, Sushant Kumar Sahu, told OTV.
The incident has triggered anger among locals, who are demanding accountability and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Concerns have also been raised about the preparedness of rural healthcare centres in handling emergency cases such as snakebites.
Meanwhile, authorities at the health centre have denied allegations of negligence. Officials stated that standard medical procedures were followed and appropriate care was provided based on the patient’s condition.
“When she (Sukanti) came, we immediately attended to the patient, and we observed her. Every 15 minutes to half an hour, we were observing her. We checked if any symptoms were appearing. So, if they (the deceased’s family members) say three hours, why would we keep her for three hours just neglected? They said we sent her away. The person was healthy, and because the test was negative, we kept her under observation,” Avinash Sethy, Khamar CHC doctor treating the woman, stated.
“When her symptoms appeared, that’s when we started giving the woman injections. So, those people should also ask their family members, ‘Did we neglect anything? Haven’t we given medicine and sent her back? Nothing like that was done,” the doctor added.
Reported By: Rajanikant Maharana
Suranjan Mishra
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