Gopalganj: As monsoon rains begin to drench Bihar, a troubling surge in snakebite cases has been reported, with a particularly alarming incident in Gopalganj district where 13 people were bitten in a single day. Two women have died, and several others were left critically ill.
On Tuesday, Gopalganj hospitals received over a dozen patients with snakebite injuries. While quick intervention by medical staff saved 11 lives, two women succumbed to the venom.
One of the victims, Babita Devi, 41, from Uchkagaon, was bitten while walking to her cattle shed in the early hours of the morning. According to eye-witnesses, she accidentally stepped on the snake, which bit her three times. She lost consciousness on the spot and was rushed to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Another victim, Malavati Devi, 45, from Derwa village in Phulwaria, was bitten while working inside her home. Despite being moved from a local clinic to the district hospital, the venom had spread rapidly, and she died during treatment. Cases are steadily rising in other areas including Barauli, Baikunthpur, Jadopur, Manjha, Mirganj and Thawe. While healthcare workers managed to stabilise the remaining patients through timely intervention, doctors have raised concerns over the persistent reliance on exorcists and traditional healers by many rural residents — a delay which can often prove fatal.
Health officials have urged the public to seek immediate medical help in case of a snakebite and to avoid traditional methods, which continue to cost lives every monsoon season.
