Girl dies of snakebite, kin blame doctors

Ashok Raina

Kangra, July 17

The Medical Superintendent of Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College, Tanda, on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the alleged negligence of hospital doctors in the  death of a girl following a snakebite. 

Relatives of the patient, Priyanka from Chanderot village, alleged that she had died because no senior doctor was available in the emergency to attend to the girl when she was brought to the hospital on Sunday evening.

Medical Superintendent Dr Gurdarshan Gupta said Dr Dheeraj Kapoor, Head of the Medicine Department, would hold the inquiry. Dr Gupta said if any one was found guilty, strict action would be taken. 

Mast Ram, father of the girl, said the girl was bitten by a snake in the village. He alleged that when she was brought to the emergency, there was no senior doctor. He alleged that when her condition deteriorated, a number of doctors came to attend to her but she could not be saved. 

Mast Ram said had senior doctors attended to the patient immediately, she could have been saved.

The relatives of the girl protested on Monday against the  alleged negligence of the doctors and raised slogans against the college authorities. They did not allow postmortem of the deceased and took her body without autopsy. A police force was rushed to the medical college to deal with the situation. 

Dr Gupta said the girl was bitten by a snake at 6 pm on Sunday and arrived at 7 pm in the  hospital emergency. She was put treated  and later on ventilator before she died on Monday. He said an inquiry had been ordere.

The case

A girl was bitten by a snake in the village. Her father alleged that when she was brought to the emergency of the Tanda hospital, there was no senior doctor to attend to her. When her condition deteriorated, a number of doctors reached, but the patient could not be saved. The relatives protested against the alleged negligence of the doctors and raised slogans. They took her body without autopsy.