Snakebite kills six-year-old girl in Uttarakhand quarantine centre

The girl who was bitten by the snake was first taken to a person who allegedly conducts black magic rituals before being brought to a local health care centre.

Agencies

Dehradun: A six-year-old girl at a quarantine centre in Nainital district’s Betalghat area died after she was allegedly bitten by a snake on Monday morning, said officials.

Dr Bharti Rana, chief medical officer (CMO) Nainital district said the six-year-old girl was quarantined at a government primary school in Talli Sethi village, which is located in the remote area of the district.

 “Around 5 am in the morning on Monday, the girl was bitten by a snake. She was brought to the community health centre in Betalghat around 1.15 pm, where doctors gave her two anti-venom injections. But she died within ten minutes,” said Dr Rana.

Dr Rana said she had been quarantined with her parents at the primary school three days ago after their return from Delhi around 12 days ago.

Dr Rana said she was first taken for ‘jhaad phoonk’ (excorcism) before being brought to the community health centre, which resulted in the delay.

She said the girl’s body has been sent for post mortem. “After post mortem results, we will be in a better position to say what exactly happened.”

Dr Satish Pant, a doctor in Betalghat who treated the girl, said the girl was brought around 1.15 pm. “Her parents said she was bitten by a snake on her ear while she was sleeping. We immediately started the treatment protocol for snake bites and administered her two anti-venom injections. But despite our best efforts, she died around 1.25 pm. They should have brought her earlier,” he said.

In the last few days, due to the heavy influx of migrants from other states, Nainital has emerged as the district with the most positive Covid-19 cases in the state. Of Uttarakhand’s 332 positive Covid-19 cases till Monday afternoon, Nainital has the maximum 117 cases. Around 14,400 migrants from other states have returned to Nainital so far, including 7,921 in rural areas and 6,479 in urban areas of the district, said officials.