Chennai: An 18-month-old child died of a snake bite in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district as she could not reach the hospital on time due to the lack of proper roads in the area. The mother had to carry the child for 6 kilometres uphill after the ambulance dropped them midway.
After the snake bite incident, parents and relatives rushed 18-month-old Dhanushka to a hospital in Vellore, but the girl died on the way.
Relatives of the child alleged that the lack of a proper road caused a delay in reaching the hospital, and as a result, the child could not get treatment on time. Vellore Collector tells NDTV that a mini ambulance was available at the foothills and if the family had contacted Asha workers, the child could have been administered first aid.
He said that the parents did not contact Asha workers, but instead decided to travel by motorcycles.
The Collector added "efforts were already underway to lay road to the area where around 1,500 people live scattered. Relevant online application has been done for clearance from forest department".
The Annaikattu Police has registered a case under the relevant sections.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai condemned the deeply painful incident and said that the state government is fully responsible.
"The Vellore incident is deeply painful in which a 1.5-year-old child succumbed to a snake bite as the child was unable to be taken to the hospital at the right time because of improper roads. Condolences to the child's parents", said K Annamalai.
"A death of a child due to lack of proper road facilities is unacceptable. It was even worse when the child's parents had to walk kilometres carrying the child's body. This is the height of misery that no one should experience," he added.