Junayed Hasan, a boy of four and a half, has died of a snakebite in Sakhipur, Tangail. He was declared dead by a doctor after being taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital on Monday night (14 September). He was the son of Jahid Hasan of Kachua Paschimpara in the upazila.

Family members and locals said Junayed fell asleep after lunch on Monday. Around 5pm he woke up crying and at one point told his parents, "Something bit me." Because no snake was seen nearby, the family at first could not be sure it was a snakebite.

When the child later lost consciousness, he was taken to the emergency department of Sakhipur Upazila Health Complex around 7pm, where doctors found his condition critical.

Hospital authorities said that although the hospital had enough antivenom, it had no ICU facility, so the child was referred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Family members said that when Junayed was taken there around 9.30pm, the doctor on duty declared him dead.

Rabeya Akter, medical officer in the emergency department of Sakhipur Upazila Health Complex, said the child was in very poor condition when brought in. Although there was enough antivenom, the lack of an ICU meant he was referred to Mymensingh.

Junayed's funeral prayer was held on Tuesday morning at the ground of West Kachua Government Primary School, and he was buried in the family graveyard.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.