Chennai: Girl dies of snakebite, kin ransack PHC

Chennai: A 12-year-old girl died of snake bite at Ayyampettai in Kancheepuram district allegedly due to denial of treatment at the local public health centre (PHC), which had neither a doctor nor stock of the life-saving antivenom.

The distraught family rushed the girl, who suffered the snake bite on Sunday evening, to the Kancheepuram GH and later to the Chengalpet medical college hospital where she died late Monday, police said.

They said P. Sharmila, a class VII student and daughter of farm worker Prakash, was bitten by a snake in the backyard of her house. She allegedly died due to lack of prompt medical help. Angry relatives ransacked the PHC after the funeral. Police rushed to the place and brought the situation under control.

When contacted, the district health official claimed that all the PHCs in the district had adequate stocks of the antivenom vials and promised probe into the denial of treatment to Sharmila at the PHC on Sunday night.