As Cyclone Biparjoy approaches, girl bitten by snake in Bet Dwarka island rescued in special operation

Health officer Ilesh Ramavat at the Bet Dwarka dispensary, where Aarti was taken by her family after she was bitten on her left foot by a poisonous snake at around 5.30 am, reached out to senior officials to find a way out even as the girl’s condition deteriorated. She started vomiting and her leg swelled as panic gripped the family members.

A rescue operation was set in motion immediately after Ramavat contacted Chief District Health Officer Dr Mitesh Bhandari. “We first did a video call with a consultant who confirmed that the snakebite was from a poisonous snake… Immediately, I called the port officer at Okha and explained the situation to him. He coordinated with local residents and arranged a boat to ferry the patient to the Okha shore. I also called the district nodal officer of the 108 emergency services and briefed him about the situation to ensure an ambulance was stationed on standby with the antivenom,” Dr Bhandari told The Indian Express.

As soon as Aarti was rescued from Bet Dwarka and brought to Okha, the paramedic staff of the 108 ambulances service administered the antivenom to her. At the family’s request, Aarti was taken to the Mithapur hospital and then to the sub-district hospital in Dwarka, where she was administered another antivenom.

Dr Bhandari said, “We advised them to shift her to Dwarka sub-district hospital as the availability of antivenom is more there compared to Mithapur. Sometimes, depending on the snakebite’s depth and the venom it injects, the patient may need up to 25 antivenom doses. However, currently, she is stabilising with two antidotes,”

Devbhumi Dwarka District Collector Ashok Sharma said, “We are indeed glad that we saved the 15-year-old with an emergency rescue operation even in this situation as we prepare for the cyclone, thanks to the health department’s quick thinking and prompt response.”

In a statement, Aarti said, “When the dispensary at Bet Dwarka told us that the ferry services, as well as the ambulance boat, had been suspended due to the cyclone, I thought I would not survive. However, I am grateful that the administration went out of its way to rescue me and grant me a new life even in times of crisis.”