Patna: Bihar is seeing a sharp rise in snake bite cases during the rainy season. With floodwater entering homes, poisonous snakes are hiding in beds, roofs and courtyards. In the last month alone, 29 people were taken to Patna hospitals after snake bites. Five of them died before treatment could begin, while doctors managed to save the others.
In Bettiah, a woman named Urmila Devi was bitten by a snake while sleeping. Her family first went to a witch doctor instead of a hospital, and she died before proper treatment was given. In Nalanda, Rita Devi died after a snake fell from the roof onto her bed at midnight. In Arrah, 38-year-old Sumanti Devi was bitten by a snake hiding in a pile of cow dung. She was taken to Patna but did not survive.
Another tragic case came from Supaul, where 26-year-old Kanchan Devi was bitten while having breakfast with her child in the courtyard of her mud house. She collapsed and died before reaching the hospital.
Doctors say snakes are coming out of their holes because of rain and floods, which is why cases are increasing. Hospitals in Patna – including PMCH, AIIMS, NMCH and IGIMS – are receiving patients from many districts. Health experts have warned people to be alert and go straight to hospitals instead of using traditional remedies if bitten.
