Maharashtra: 7-year-old girl dies of snake bite after health centre snubs her in Palghar

Chhaya Bhoye and her parents and siblings

In another incident that highlights the need for proper medical facilities for the tribals of Palghar district, a seven-year-old tribal girl, belonging to the Katkari community, died of a snake bite on Tuesday night. She was not given the correct treatment on time, as doctors at the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Khodala allegedly gave her only first aid, saying she could have been injured by glass shards.

An activist said her parents took her home then. She was later brought back when her condition deteriorated and died on the way to the rural hospital. The activist has also alleged that the doctors encouraged the bereaved family members to cremate her body instead of burying the mortal remains.

"The doctors smartly suggested to the bereaved family members that as she died from snake bite, if she was buried, the venom would spread in the area. Since her parents are illiterate and extremely poor, they were convinced and cremated the minor girl's body, while this community (Katkari) buries the bodies of minors," Sheru Wagh, the district committee secretary of the Marxist-Leninist Party of India (Red Flag) told mid-day.

Also Read: Maharashtra: 22-year-old missing woman's body found hanging from tree in Palghar

The incident

"The girl, Chhaya Bhoye, was playing in a field near her house in Sayde Borichiwadi village in Mokhada taluka of Palghar district on Tuesday evening. Around 6:30pm, a venomous snake bit the girl on her hand. She immediately told her father and her finger was bleeding. Her father rushed her to the nearby PHC, Khodala which is hardly 5-km from her village," Wagh said.

"After they reached PHC in Khodala on motorcycle at 7pm, the doctor told her father, Sakharam Bhoye, that she might have been injured while playing. I was told by Chhaya's relatives that the doctors administered her first aid, mistakenly thinking that she was injured by glass shards. The doctor also gave her some pills at the PHC and allowed them to go home," Wagh added. Chhaya's health started to deteriorate badly after reaching home around 8pm, so her father again rushed her at 8:30pm to the PHC,

Wagh said. "The doctors at the PHC then told Sakharam that it seemed to be a case of snake bite, and though they treated her, she had to be rushed to the Rural Hospital, Mokhada. The ambulance came at 10:30 pm and rushed Chhaya to the RH, Mokhada," Wagh added. But she breathed her last on the way to Rural Hospital around 10:45pm.

Relatives and friends of the Bhoye family. Pic/Hanif Patel

A senior medical practitioner at RH, Mokhada told mid-day that Chhaya was brought dead on Tuesday night and the post-mortem was conducted there. "After the girl died, the medical staff knew that it would create chaos and people may protest the death, so they wisely suggested the Bhoye family cremate the body, instead of burying it. We tribals are innocent and poor, but will fight for our rights," Wagh said.

"It is really sad that the state government failed to provide medicines to treat snakebite cases at PHC in tribal-dominated district, where the health infrastructure is itself on ventilator even after 75 years of independence," Wagh added. When mid-day contacted Palghar district collector Govind Bodke, he replied, "I have no idea if anything as such has happened. The District Health Officer is on leave. I will have to check with the concerned medical staff."

Blame on parents

The Additional District Health Officer (ADHO), Palghar district, Dr Sagar Patil said, "It is true that the girl (Chhaya) died from snake bite. She was brought to PHC, Khodala but she was asymptomatic. So the doctors first gave her some medicines and she was kept there on observation. But her parents took away the girl without informing the staff at the PHC."

"She was again brought back to the PHC when her condition deteriorated. She was being treated but her condition started to deteriorate, and hence she was rushed to Rural Hospital, Mokhada for her advance treatment. But she breathed her last on the way. Her post-mortem was conducted at RH and the body was handed over to the family," Dr Patil said.

Sheru Wagh, district committee secretary, the Marxist-Leninist Party of India

Talking about the allegations over sparse medical resources and insensitive medical staff at PHC, Dr. Patil said, "I will look into the matter. At present I am gathering details from (Mokhada) taluka." Sakharam Bhoye is a labourer and was in the village to meet his family, said Wagh. "The health of Chhaya's parents deteriorated and they had to be hospitalized after her death," said Wagh, who hinted at launching a massive protest against the crumbling health infrastructure in the district where tribals' rights are being neglected.

The tribal-dominated Palghar district was carved out of Thane in August 2014 but till date no Civil Hospital has been made in the district to give instant medical facilities to local residents. Due to the crumbling health infrastructure and inadequate medical staff, many people including pregnant women, children, elderly people and others have lost their lives. A few days ago, a pregnant tribal woman died of sunstroke in Palghar after walking 7 km in the heat to a medical facility and back.

5 km
The distance from Sayde Borichiwadi to the PHC