HYDERABAD: Several of the flood victims in Al Jubail Colony and slums near the Falaknuma Railway Station were bitten by snakes when they attempted to flee the gushing waters. In one such case, a lady with five children was hospitalised in Osmania General Hospital after she was bitten by a snake while running through the tracks.
“We live in the slum areas and had no way to exit except running through the railway tracks. I was bitten by a snake and taken to the hospital and I am still recovering. More than this, the fact that we have lost all our belongings is haunting me,” said the lady on condition of anonymity from a slum near Falaknuma.
According to the OGH doctors, in the last seven days alone, there have been nine cases of snakebite. All are undergoing treatment in the Acute Medical Care ward . "Snakebite cases are treatable and the patient must be brought to the hospital. In several cases, people panic and die of shock. It is advisable to remain calm and approach the nearest hospital," explained Dr Supraja, Chief Medical Officer, Osmania General Hospital.
Meanwhile, volunteer organisations have urged the government to urgently clean up slums as people have no resources to do so.