CHAKWAL: A 10-year-old boy who was brought to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Chakwal after being bitten by a snake died allegedly because of a doctor’s negligence on Thursday.

Mohammad Nabi was brought to the hospital at around 2am, and died there at 8am.

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Abdul Sattar Esani has written to the health secretary seeking legal action against the doctor. He told Dawn: “I have also set up a committee which has been directed to present its findings at the earliest.”

He said the doctor has been suspended and will face legal action if he is found guilty.

Sirajuddin Khan, Nabi’s cousin who brought him to the hospital, said the child had been asleep on the ground, covered by a mosquito net, because the family did not have any bed or cot.

He said a snake bit him in the middle of the night, and they spotted the snake when the boy cried and killed it. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where Mr Khan said the doctor was unwilling to accept that he had been bitten by a snake.

“When we told the doctor we had killed the snake that bit Nabi twice on the back, the doctor administered an injection and suggested Brufen syrup,” he said, adding that the doctor told them to stay at the hospital for four to five hours.

He said the child’s health began to deteriorate, and “we pleaded with the doctor time and again to check him but he did not pay any heed. As a result, Nabi died in the morning around 8am.”

A senior doctor from the hospital told Dawn the child was not administered an anti-venom injection because the doctor did not comprehend the seriousness of the matter.

Another doctor said a snake bite victim has a more than 90pc chance of surviving a bite from the most venomous snakes if injected with anti venom.

When contacted, medical superintendent Dr Aslam Asad admitted that the child died because of the doctor’s negligence.

“There is no shortage of anti-venom doses in the hospital,” he said.

Mr Esani also visited major public hospitals in the district to check the availability of anti venom and said doses are available at all public hospitals.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019