On October 15, a remarkable incident unfolded in Bhagalpur, Bihar, when Prakash Mandal, a 48-year-old daily wage worker, arrived at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JNMCH) with a Russell’s Viper draped around his neck after being bitten by the snake. The unusual move was aimed at ensuring that doctors could accurately identify the snake and provide appropriate treatment for his condition.
Mandal was bitten on the right arm while sleeping at home. Upon realizing he had been attacked, he swiftly caught the snake by its head and rushed to the hospital with his family. He wrapped his arm to slow the spread of venom as he made his way to medical help. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with hospital staff initially hesitant to assist him due to the live snake.
Despite concerns from medical personnel about safety, Mandal insisted on keeping the snake with him for identification purposes. Eventually, after much deliberation, he agreed to leave the snake in a sack held by his family while he received treatment. Health Manager Veer Mani confirmed that Mandal was under observation but was out of danger following treatment.
The Russell’s Viper is notorious for being one of the four most venomous snakes in South Asia, alongside the cobra, krait, and saw-scaled viper. This incident highlights ongoing issues with snake encounters in the region, where such vipers have increasingly been found in residential areas.
In a similar case earlier this year, another individual brought a snake that had bitten his wife to JNMCH, underscoring a growing trend of patients seeking to provide medical staff with direct evidence of their snakebite experiences.
