Family keeps snake-bitten boy in holy river for 12 hours

In India, a 13-year-old boy died after being kept in the waters of the Ganges River for 12 hours instead of being taken to a doctor after being bitten by a snake. Instead of seeking medical help, his family tried to treat the boy using methods based on traditional beliefs.

The boy's death caused widespread public outrage across India. This tragedy further intensified discussions on how serious, and even fatal, the consequences of superstition and the refusal of necessary medical care can be.

Following the instructions of a "folk healer," a rural family kept their 13-year-old son, who was bitten by a venomous snake, in the waters of the Ganges River—considered holy in India—for 12 hours instead of taking him to the hospital.

The family followed the folk healer's advice

A boy named Amit, living in the village of Pitampur in Uttar Pradesh, was bitten by a snake last Thursday. He immediately informed his family members about the sudden incident. However, instead of rushing him to the hospital immediately, his relatives decided to consult a folk healer.

According to reports, the folk healer advised the family to tie Amit to bamboo sticks and submerge his body in the water of the Ganges River. He believed that the holy water of the river could rid the boy of the effects of the snakebite.

Amit was a 4th-grade student. Instead of providing the necessary medical care to save his life, the family's belief in such a method led to tragic consequences.

Taken to the doctor after 12 hours

According to Indian media reports, family members decided to take Amit to a doctor only after noticing that he had lost consciousness. By then, 12 hours had already passed. It was too late for the boy to receive medical assistance, and doctors were unable to save his life.

Reports circulated that even after learning of Amit's death, family members tried to throw his body into the Ganges River, hoping for a miracle to happen.

Local medical center doctor Shashank Choudhari, in a comment to journalists, said that he and his colleagues regularly conduct awareness-raising work among the population. Their main goal is to explain the necessity of immediately bringing snake-bite victims to the hospital.

The doctor emphasized that every minute is crucial in such situations. Therefore, people must seek qualified medical assistance without wasting time.

Boy's death sparked outrage on social media

Amit's preventable death became a subject of heated discussions on social media. Many users stressed that the parents should be held accountable for their negligence.

It is currently unknown whether law enforcement agencies plan to file charges against the boy's family members over this tragedy.

This incident once again demonstrated that relying on folk methods in life-threatening situations such as snakebites and delaying medical care can lead to severe consequences. Getting a venomous snakebite victim to a medical facility as quickly as possible and receiving specialist help is crucial to saving a life.