Locals in Pen, Raigad held a protest after Sara Thakur‘s death, alleging delay in treatment. The girl was shifted from the primary healthcare centre in Jite to the sub-district hospital-Pen, then to a private hospital in Pen, back to SDH-Pen, and then the civil hospital in Alibaug before ending up at MGM hospital in Kamothe for treatment. Activists alleged that she died due to lack of anti-snake venom (ASV) injections in both government and private hospitals across the district as well as ambulance services.
However, a civil surgeon refuted allegations of unavailability of ASV. Dr Ambadas Devmane, the Raigad district civil surgeon, said, “21 ASV vials were administered to her. The girl died due to a delay in administering the ASV in a suspected case of a cobra bite. The delay was caused at the primary health centre and subsequently at SDH-Pen to some extent as the newly appointed doctor did not know the correct medical procedure for a case like this. She referred the patient to a private hospital.” Sara was bitten by a venomous snake around 1.30am on Wednesday. The family rushed her in an auto to the PHC in Jite. The doctor was unavailable and had switched off his mobile phone. No ambulance was available to transport the girl, said her family.
She was taken to SDH-Pen where the doctor referred her to Dr Mahajan Private Hospital for an expert opinion. However, she was referred back to SDH-Pen. Around one and a half hours of crucial time was wasted. She was then sent to the civil hospital in Alibaug by a private ambulance and was put on ventilator support and was to be sent to MGM Hospital in a cardiac ambulance but it was not available. Sara breathed her last at around 9am after reaching MGM hospital.
