Salem, August 28 — An eight-year-old girl from Veeraganur in Gangavalli taluk died after a suspected snakebite, and her parents have alleged that doctors at the local primary health centre (PHC) did not provide immediate treatment and asked them to shift the child to another hospital.
Incident and family account
The deceased has been identified as S Seshika, a Class 3 student and the younger child of Krishnaveni and Sekar, who live in a rural area of Veeraganur. The family say the girl returned from school on August 28 and, while washing her feet outside the house, felt a bite on her left foot and soon developed symptoms.
Krishnaveni told local reporters that she saw two bite marks on her daughter's leg and immediately suspected a snakebite. The family reached the Veeraganur PHC at about 7 pm, by which time there was no doctor on duty and only a staff nurse was present, the mother said.
“I repeatedly asked them to give her an injection for the snakebite before shifting her to another hospital, but they kept asking us to take her elsewhere. There was no ambulance either, so we had to urgently arrange a private one,” Krishnaveni said.
The child began vomiting and complained of blurred vision, the mother added. The family then arranged private transport and took Seshika to Krishnapuram PHC in Perambalur, about 12 km from Veeraganur. The mother said the child died en route.
PHC staffing and the facility's response
Sources at the Veeraganur PHC confirmed the child had suffered a snakebite. They said Veeraganur functions as an additional PHC where a doctor is available only until 4 pm, and a staff nurse remains on duty thereafter. A PHC source said the on-duty nurse examined the marks and identified them as a suspected snakebite, secured an intravenous line and was attending to the child when she developed severe vomiting and signs of aspiration.
The source said the nurse was uncertain initially what had bitten the child and that parents, alarmed by the sudden worsening of her condition, took the decision to shift her to another hospital. Veeraganur police have collected details regarding the incident.
Local implications and immediate concerns
- After-hours doctor availability: Veeraganur PHC reportedly has a doctor only until 4 pm, leaving a staff nurse to handle emergencies in the evening.
- Emergency transport: Family members said no ambulance was available at the PHC, so they had to arrange private transport to reach the nearer PHC in Perambalur.
- Clinical deterioration: The child developed vomiting and signs of aspiration while at the PHC, prompting the decision to transfer.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | August 28 |
| Victim | S Seshika, 8 years |
| Initial facility | Veeraganur PHC (additional PHC) |
| Referral / Transfer | Krishnapuram PHC, Perambalur (about 12 km) |
| Reported cause | Suspected snakebite; died en route to second PHC |
The incident has highlighted longstanding concerns in rural health delivery: constrained doctor coverage at smaller PHCs after office hours and limited immediate access to emergency transport. Local health authorities and police are recorded as having collected information about the case.
Residents in village clusters across Salem district rely on additional PHCs for urgent care after regular hours. The parents' allegations and the PHC account now increase pressure on district health administration to review after-hours staffing, emergency-response protocols and ambulance availability at peripheral centres.
Veeraganur police said they were collecting details of the incident. Hospital sources confirmed the child had suffered a snakebite.
Further official statements from district health authorities were not available in the reports cited.
Reporting from Salem.
