Assam: Snakebite claims life of minor in Tangla due to unavailability of antivenom injection at health facility

Dispirited faces and cries shrouded Tangla when a minor boy died due to a snake bite. 

What kicked the situation into a sorry state was when the minor couldn’t be administered an anti-venom injection due to the lack of the same in the Pathshala Government Health Centre.

After being referred to the Barpeta Medical College from the health centre, the 13-year-old boy succumbed and couldn’t be saved as the Medical college is nearly an hour away from Pathshala, thus losing valuable time in saving the boy’s life.
 
Helpless and disheartened, the kin of the deceased, cling to the last resort and call the local physician (bej)to help the boy regain consciousness.

Using up all available resources, the family members try hard to save the boy’s life but in vain. The boy succumbs, veiling the entire region in a cloud of remorse and loud cries.

At a time when the state has been receiving multiple medical colleges erected in various districts, the non-availability of one anti-venom injection raises serious concerns for the medical fraternity and the government as well.

Meanwhile, the kin of the deceased boy has blamed the health department for their failure.