VICTIM’S BACKGROUND
Binod Yadav is a 15 year old boy, studying in 8th standard in a Hindi medium school, Prathmikshala, in his village Chindauli , P.S. Patewa, Chhattisgarh. His father is a farm laborer, and his mother does odd jobs (maid and farm laborer). Binod has a younger brother. They live in a two roomed cemented house with electric supply. Their food is cooked on firewood. His father, Baisakhu Yadav, around 31 years old, collects wood 2-3 times a month from the nearby forest area. Baisakhu Yadav works for a rich farmer. He has a Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY)card, a scheme for families below the poverty line. As per this health policy, a family can use the RSBY card to avail of health related treatments upto Rs.30,000 per annum. Each family owning a smartcard has to pay a premium of Rs.30 per annum to avail this facility.
Under this scheme a family can use a maximum of Rs.10, 500 to spend on treatment in case of a snake bite. Being illiterate, Baisakhu panicked at the thought of the extensive paper work that would need to be done to avail this facility. Moreover it was paddy sowing time and his boss offered to give him a loan instead.
BITE INCIDENT (23rd June 2014) : Binod was lying on a patch of grass in a farm and watching a video on his mobile. When he moved his hand, a snake resting in the grass bit him on the third finger of his left hand. As soon as Binod was bitten, he ran home and immediately tied a tourniquet around his wrist. Binod was not able to identify the snake and hence one was not sure if it was a venomous snake bite. He was brought to Anjali Health Center in Lahrod, Pithora for treatment, which was 20 kms away from his house. By the time he arrived at the hospital, he was showing signs of envenomation. He stayed in the hospital for three days. The author met Binod after one week of the bite incident when he came to Anjali Health Center for dressing of the local area.
MEDICAL HISTORY: Three vials of anti-venom, pain killer, anti-allergy, and antibiotics were administered to Binod. He was having regular food, and passing normal urine. Necrosis developed in the bite area four days after the bite. He had intense pain for six days, and is now losing sensation on the tip of his bitten finger. He feels pain in the bitten area only if the finger is pressed with a pair of tweezers. Slight cramp like sensations are also felt in the affected finger.
Written by Priyanka Kadam