CHARSADDA: People came on the roads after a child fell victim to snake bite and died at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar on Wednesday.

According to locals, three-year-old Salman was sleeping with his mother on the ground in their house at Ghani Qilla when at 2am on Wednesday a snake bit him. The child was immediately shifted to tehsil headquarters hospital, Shabqadar, where the doctor on duty applied a drip to him brought from a nearby shop, the child’s relatives said. They said the doctor said he was not authorised to apply vaccine to the child and referred him to LRH, where he died.

The child’s death forced the people to pour onto the roads in Shabqaddar. The protesters demanded termination of MS of the tehsil headquarters hospital and the doctor on duty.

The protestors were addressed by QWP Charsadda chairman Baber Ali Khan, former district councillor Shah Khan Katozai, traders’ leader Shakirullah Khan, and PML-N, PTI and JI leaders.

However, Dr Hassan, MS THQ hospital, said the doctor on duty at emergency ward had applied vaccine to the child and referred him to LRH as a precautionary measure. The MS also showed the empty bottle of the vaccine and record of the hospital to mediapersons.

He told reporters that the district headquarters hospital, Charsadda, had provided them with the anti-rabies and anti-snake bite vaccines. He, however, assured that action would be taken against the staff if they were found involved in any negligence.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2019