Treated with neem, mantras for snakebite, victim dies at govt hosp

Chandrapur: A snakebite patient was treated with domestic herbs and mantras at the subdistrict hospital in Warora on Thursday evening, leading to his death some time later. The entire incident was recorded in CCTV cameras, and an inquiry has been ordered.
Infuriated by the death of Balaji Wadhai due to the irresponsible approach of the doctor on duty and other staffers, his kin stalled the post mortem on Friday with the help of local political leaders, demanding action against the staff.They allowed the post mortem to go ahead after getting assurance of an inquiry and action against the guilty.
Balaji Wadhai, resident of Chargaon village, was bitten by a snake and brought to Warora subdistrict hospital on Thursday evening. Instead of providing immediate medication, ward boy Suresh Deshmukh allegedly asked the patient a series of questions, while the medical officer did not bother to attend to him for over half an hour. The ward boy gave neem leaves to the patient to chew. Eyewitnesses also saw him chanting mantras while caressing the spot where the snake had bitten him, in the presence of medical officer Dr Yamuna Madavi. The entire act was recorded by CCTV cameras.
The lack of proper treatment led to the patient’s condition deteriorating. As the doctors prepared to refer Wadhai to Chandrapur civil hospital, he passed away. On Friday, relatives of the patient and several local political leaders stalled the post mortem, demanding action against the doctor and ward boy responsible for his death.
As tension gripped the hospital, a team of two doctors, Dr GL Dudhe and Dr Sandeep Bisen, visited Warora hospital. They inspected the CCTV footage and pacified the kin and politicians by assuring an inquiry. Both doctor and ward boy have in their statements blamed each other for lapses. “We have sent medical officer Dr Madavi on forced leave till further orders. A panel of doctor will come from Chandrapur civil hospital to inquire into he incident on Saturday. They will see the CCTV footage and decide who is responsible for the death,” said medical superintendent of Warora subdistrict hospital Dr Gopal Bhagat.