Doctor saved the life of a seven-day-old baby girl; honoured by Health Minister
* Rare achievement of a Balasore DHH doctor draws wide appreciation * Seven-day-old newborn was bitten by a venomous snake and rescued from the brink of death
Balasore, 19/11 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): A doctor at the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital has saved the life of a seven-day-old girl, rescuing her from the brink of death after a venomous snakebite. The infant’s panic-stricken parents brought her straight to the hospital, where senior paediatrician Dr Arun Kumar Giri responded to their plea and managed to revive the newborn. His effort has earned wide praise, and the Health Minister has honoured him for this rare life-saving intervention. The case is considered exceptional, reportedly the first such incident in Odisha and only the second in India.
The baby belongs to Babita Das of Balbudhi village under Basta police station limits. The incident took place on August 5. Around 7.30 pm, a snake bit the newborn girl on her head, and Babita witnessed it. The family rushed her to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the District Headquarters Hospital, reaching at about 9.30 pm. By that time, the baby’s condition was critical. Foam was coming out of her mouth, and the venom had turned her body blue. Dr Arun Kumar Giri, who was on duty, examined the infant and found her state extremely serious. Even so, he decided to attempt all possible measures to save her.
Dr Arun said, “In my 30 to 35 years of service, I had never seen or treated a snakebite case in a baby this young. But I knew the same anti-snake venom (ASV) used for adults could work, so with the father’s consent, I immediately administered ten vials. The child’s condition was critical, and anything could have happened, but ASV was her only chance. Once the father agreed, I began treatment. Within an hour, the baby started crying. The foam reduced, and the blue colour began to fade. After nearly two hours, she cried for milk. We handed her to the mother, and she breastfed normally.”
He added, “A poisonous snake biting a baby only seven days old is extremely rare. Treating such a case successfully is why the Health Minister felicitated me during Newborn Week.”
