Assam: 9-year-old dies of snake bite in Darrang district

The tragic death of a nine-year-old girl from a snakebite has highlighted severe deficiencies in the healthcare system of Darrang district. The girl from Gharoa-Sonapur in Sipajhar, succumbed after a series of alleged medical missteps and negligence.

Locals claim that her life could have been saved had the doctors acted promptly and effectively. The incident began when she was bitten by a poisonous snake while sitting with her grandmother in Pirali during the afternoon.

Following the bite, the girl's parents rushed her to the Sipajhar Primary and Community Health Centre. However, the attending doctor only administered a tetanus toxoid (TT) injection, assured them of her recovery, and sent them home.

An hour later, as her condition deteriorated, they were advised to go to Mangaldoi Civil Hospital. There, despite receiving an antivenom injection, she did not receive the necessary additional treatment and was referred to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

On the way to GMCH, her condition worsened, prompting her parents to admit her to a private hospital at Baihata intersection, where doctors declared her dead. In a state of confusion, the parents brought her home, only to later seek confirmation at GMCH, where doctors confirmed the nine-year-old had indeed passed away earlier.