Man (40) dies of snakebite, fifth case in Gzb this year

Ghaziabad: A 40-year-old man from Muradnagar died of a suspected snakebite at Delhi’s GTB Hospital last week. Vikas, an amputee, is suspected to have been bitten by a viper while he was sleeping at his house around 5am on Aug 5. After the man complained of breathlessness, he was taken to the city hospital in Rawli.“Doctors at city hospital told us that Vikas was bit by a snake in his leg. As his condition deteriorated, Vikas was referred to a private hospital in the city and eventually to GTB Hospital, where he succumbed on Friday. While doctors believe he died due to snakebite, the body was sent for autopsy for confirmation,” Vikas’s brother Siwan said.While govt data on snakebite cases is patchy, media reports indicate that the Muradnagar resident is the fifth person to succumb to snakebite in the district this year.On Aug 2, a 12-year-old boy, Manzoor, died after he was bitten by a snake in the Tilla Mode area of Sahibabad. On July 30, an eight-year-old boy, Amrit, died after he was bitten by a snake in Tonica City. On June 28, siblings Inayat (4) and Sahib (2) died in the Masuri area due to snakebite. Health department data indicates there were no snakebite-related fatalities for four years between 2018 and 2022, but three persons died in the last financial year. Sources say the data is largely under-counted. Though no independent record of snakebite cases is available for the district, as per health department data, of the 300 vials of anti-snake venom received by it this year, 115 have been administered — at least 80 vials were used in Muradnagar and 10 each in Razapur and Loni. While multiple shots can be administered to a victim, depending on the severity of the venom, it is indicative of a rise in snakebite cases. Saurabh Bhatt, the ADM F&R — the nodal official for release of compensation — told TOI that in 2018, UP govt declared snakebite a state disaster and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh will be paid to the next of kin of a person who succumbs to snakebite. “Between 2018 and 2022, the department did not release any compensation related to snakebite deaths. But in FY 2023-24, compensation of Rs 4 lakh each was given in three cases,” he said.Officials could not confirm how many families have applied for compensation this year so far.
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