Snake bite survival

Published July 16, 2012

THIS refers to the letter ‘Snake bite survival’ (July 9) in which crude method of sucking venom is elaborated by the writer, though putting of a tourniquet is the scientific approach in an emergency.

However, in such an event, one should not waste a single minute to proceed to a local hospital, even if the snake is not poisonous. I fail to understand how a qualified doctor diagnosed a snake bite as an ‘insect bite’.

When the patient being a medical student is ‘disposed’ of like that, how would we expect these doctors to handle poor patients in such emergencies?

There is a need to post ‘educated’ doctors in the emergency wards of tertiary units throughout Sindh.

Though the patient went to a private hospital in Hyderabad where she was properly handled with blood profile etc., I wonder why she was shifted to Karachi in spite of there being two medical universities in Hyderabad.

I feel there is a need to establish proper ICU facilities in all tertiary hospitals of Sindh to prevent such casualties in future.

DR SOOMRO A. H. Karachi