The man was rushed to the hospital immediately after he suffered snake bite. Doctors at the hospital concluded that the victim died due to heart attack. "Many people bitten by snake die due to heart attack that results from shock," said Dr Rajesh Shah of the STIDH. He said that one should not lose hope after suffering a snake bite.
Dr Shah shared an incident that occurred on last Thursday. A 30-year-old man who was bitten by snake was brought to the hospital for treatment. He showed multiple symptoms. Sometimes he complained about chest pain, sometimes of the pain in the stomach. "He also said that he felt a headache and was feeling difficulty in breathing," said Dr Shah, adding, "We were confused about what to do with him." [break]
Dr Shah said that all the doctors of the hospital had to be called in for a diagnosis while anti-venom shots were being readied.
In the end, it was established that the snake that had bitten him was not very venomous and the patient felt relief after about an hour. Dr Shah said that fear proves to be deadlier than snake venom many times.
"One should not fret too much as it erodes confidence level," said Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, of the hospital. Dr Pun, however, stressed that the victims should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible. "Victims can die or suffer from multiple health complications if they are not taken to medical centers in time," he added. He said that fatalities of the snake bite can be reduced if victims get proper treatment in time. He said that most people get confused about what to do when they or their relatives get bitten by a serpent.
The hospital administration said that every year more than 600 people suffer snake bite in the capital. In the last one and half months alone, 200 people bitten by snake were brought to the hospital, data provided by the hospital´s record section showed.
"Every day 10 snake bite victims come to the hospital on average. About six are admitted in the hospital at present," said Dr Shah. He said that the hospital only admits patients whose condition is serious.
As per the hospital records, snake bite incidents in the capital exceeds that in the Tarai region. But the serpents in the capital are generally less poisonous. "If the snakes here were as poisonous as the ones in the Tarai, the problem would have reached an epidemic level," said Dr Shah.
Dr Shah, however, cautioned that snake bites should not be taken lightly. "We have to supply several pints of blood to snake bite victim as the bite often results in internal bleeding," added Dr Shah.
He said that blood might be detected in urine, stool, cough and gums of the victim even if they are bitten by less poisonous snakes.
Dr Pun said that rain and increasing temperature are the reasons behind the rise in the number of snakebite cases. When rain water inundates snake holes, they come out. Also, snakes are active during monsoon as it is their mating season.
Dr Pun said that mostly snake bite victims are the people who work in the fields. The hospital records, nonetheless, shows that even people from inner ring road areas like Balkhu, Kalimati, Maharajgunj, Nayabazar come for the treatment of snakebites.
Don´t rely on shamans: Doctors
Doctors at STIDH urge people to go to the hospital immediately even when they are bitten by snakes that are not highly poisonous.
They say that often village folks delay to visit the health centers and consult witch doctors first.
"It could be too late if you waste time consulting shamans. Better to go to the nearest hospital that has snake treatment facility," Dr Pun said.
He said that even anti-venom will have no effect if the victims reach the hospital after 24 hours.
Doctors also advise people to keep their surroundings clean and be alert about the possibility of encountering snake. People love to grow bushes in the garden and around their home, where snakes come in search of insects.
Snake terror in Bhaktapur
BHAKTAPUR, June 23
A long rope like object lay out the compound of Bina Shrestha´s home in Balkot-4, Bhaktapur. Shrestha was shocked when she saw the “dark brown rope” moving and entering the bushes near the boundary wall of her house.
“Only later did I realize that it was actually a long snake,” she added.
Snakes often enter the homes in Tarai where the cases of snake bites are common during summer and rainy season. But Shrestha, who originally comes from Udayapur, said that she had never imagined encountering a snake here in the Valley.
There have been more such sightings in Bhaktapur recently.
Sunil Dahal, a resident of Katunje, Bhaktapur, said that laborers engaged in constructing his house found a pair of snake on the land. The laborers killed them.
His 6-year-old daughter, who had seen the snakes, is too sacred to play outside or while on her way to school, he added.
Meanwhile, experts have asked the people to clean the bushes in and around their homes as they are among the most preferred places for the serpents to hide.
Some of the locals, however, maintain that snakes were common even in the open spaces and in the fields in Bhaktapur.
Experts say shrinking space due to urbanization has led to the rise in the sightings of snakes in human settlements.
“I remember that I first time noticed a mating snake pair when I was in 20s,” said 45 years-old Pradip Dangol of Sipadol, Bhaktapur.
Experts say that there is significant presence of non-poisonous snakes in the Valley, but the rise in temperature has made it favorable for even the poisonous and migrant snakes.
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