Home remedy claims snakebite victim’s life in Odisha 

Resorting to traditional healing practices instead of medical assistance proved costly for a snakebite victim in Odisha. The victim died on Thursday morning. 

The deceased has been identified as Tunu Munda of Sega Sahi village under Koida Police limits of Sundargarh district. 

Like any other day, the family members had their dinner and went to sleep. At around 11 pm, a poisonous snake bit Tunu. Even though his house is only eight kilometers away from the Koida government hospital, the family members tried to treat him with some traditional healing practices. Subsequently, his health condition started deteriorating and eventually, he breathed his last in the wee hours of Thursday. 

Family members said they couldn’t take him to the hospital as it was raining and the road from where they can get vehicles for the hospital is also not within walking distance from their house. This apart, elephants were on the prowl in the locality on that fateful night. 

“After having dinner, we went to sleep. At around 11pm, a snake bit him. As it was raining and there were only female members in the family, we chose to treat him at home employing traditional practices,” said Manju Munda, wife of the victim.   

“A herd of elephants had been on the prowl since evening. And it was raining as well. So we couldn’t take him to the hospital,” said Budu Munda, a neighbor. 

Snakebite cases have been pouring in from different parts of the state. 

On July 22, three students-two girls and a boy - died after a venomous snake bit them while they were sleeping inside a coaching centre in the Nischitapur area in Keonjhar district. 

On July 25, four persons including three children died of snakebites in separate incidents reported from Mayurbhanj and Deogarh districts. 

Even though the Odisha Public Health Department has issued an advisory to all the hospitals in the State to keep anti-venom in stock and urged people to carry patients suffering from snakebites immediately to the nearby hospitals instead of wasting time in black magic and other superstitious activities, cases of people employing traditional healing practices are being reported.