Man Dies, Wife Critical After Being Bitten By Snake In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A man died while the condition of his wife is stated to be critical after being bitten by a poisonous snake in Chakapada area of Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Thursday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Bimala Kanhar of Panduli village under Linepada police outpost. His wife Satyabhama is undergoing treatment at Phulbani district headquarters hospital.

According to sources, the incident took place while they were sleeping in their house and there was a power cut due to incessant rain. They were immediately rushed to Khajuripada Community Health Centre in a critical condition. Bimal died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Satyabhama was then shifted to Phulbani as her condition deteriorated.

Similarly, 25 people were reportedly beaten by poisonous snakes in Soro area of Balasore district in the last 24 hours.

Notably, Odisha has been witnessing 1,000 deaths annually due to snakebite for the last five years. Till July this year, snakebite incidents have claimed at least 34 lives, including three children in Keonjhar.

On July 25, the state government issued an advisory asking all chief district medical officers (CDMOs) and public health officers (PHOs) to ensure adequate measures including adequate stock of anti-snake venom (ASV) at district headquarters hospitals and other tertiary healthcare facilities. It also stressed that a sensitisation drive will be carried out for the field staff of the Health Department at the grassroots highlighting the importance of first-aid and early hospitalisation of snakebite victims.