Snakebite patient died in Mahottari

A snakebite patient has reportedly died for want of timely treatment in Mahottari.

Yubaraj Shrestha of Maisthan in Bardibas-4 in Mahottari district, who was bitten by a snake on Saturday night, died after the hospital failed to manage a ventilator for himself, claimed the bereaved family. Shrestha's family took him to nearby snakebite treatment center at Gauridanda in Bardibas-3 shortly. But the center lacks a ventilator, leading to the incident, maintained the family. After a center's technician told that Shrestha required a ventilator support, they took him to Janakpur, but to no avail. Doctors at the Provincial Hospital, Janakpur declared him dead.

"There had been hopes that Shrestha could survive snakebite if the center had a ventilator. But to our dismay, we could not manage a ventilator for him," said Krishna Devkota, chairperson of the board of directors, the snakebite treatment center.

Repeated calls to Bardibas Municipality and the line ministry to manage a ventilator for the center had yet to be heard, he said. "It requires a ventilator for a serious snakebite patient. So, without a ventilator in the center, we transfer snakebite patients elsewhere."

Shrestha was bitten in the neck by a cobra while sleeping without setting up a mosquito net. Shrestha, originally from Sindhuli district was running a private school at Bardibas-4.

Snakebite cases have gone rampant in Tarai including the district especially during monsoon. Two persons died from snakebite at Bardibas in Mahottari district in past three weeks, according to data.

Meanwhile, representatives from the civil society have drawn the attention of lawmaker Giriraj Mani Pokharel towards the management of ventilator facility at Bardibas.