Bantwal: Young braveheart risks own life to save classmate from snake bite

Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Feb 12: Here is a young braveheart, a girl who showed immense presence of mind and courage in the face of adversity, and put her own life to risk for saving a classmate. She is Prathiksha (9), a fourth standard student of the government school at Nayila in Narikombu in the taluk.

Nithesh (9), classmate of Prathiksha, was playing in the playground of the school on February 4 this year, when he saw what looked like a rope near the fence. As soon he lifted it, he realized that it was a snake. The snake immediately bit the ring finger of the boy, before scampering to safety.

While the friends of Nithesh, who were witness to the incident, grew fearful and nervous, Nithesh was shocked by the turn of events. There was commotion in the playground, and Nithesh ran towards the school building.

Prathiksha, who came to know that Nithesh was bitten by a snake, handed him a rope. Besides, identifying the spot where he was bitten by the snake, she started sucking blood from there and spitting it out on the ground. After continuing with this act for a few minutes, she led Nithesh to the headmaster’s room. Arrangement to take the boy to the hospital was made by the headmaster immediately thereafter.

Nothing adverse happened thereafter, and some expressed the opinion that the snake involved was a non-poisonous. Irrespective of whether or not the snake was poisonous, the presence of mind and exemplary courage displayed Prathiksha deserve to be appreciated.

During snake bites, more than the poison ingested into the body by the animal, a sense of shock and fear inflict more damage to the person concerned. Prathiksha did not know what type of snake had bitten her friend. But she recounted her knowledge of first aid to drive away fear from the mind of Nithesh, besides removing poison if any that would have otherwise spread all over his body. A lesson on first aid is a part of text taught in the fourth standard. In the book, first aid in case of snake bait has been detailed as tightening of a tourniquet above the wound, removing blood from the spot by using a clean knife, and pacifying the patient and giving him courage and confidence, before taking him to a doctor.

However, Prathiksha totally neglected the risk posed by her act to her own life. Her only aim at the time was to save her friend. If the snake was indeed poisonous, Prathiksha would have suffered from adverse health effects. Nothing of this kind happened, and doctors have concluded that the snake concerned was not poisonous. This however, does not take away credit from Prathiksha.

When questioned, Prathiksha said that at that time, she remembered that giving first aid would be beneficial to the concerned in case of snake bites, and therefore tied a rope around Nithesh’s arms before sucking and spitting blood from his wound.

Medical officer of the government hospital, Dr Manjunath, has profusely hailed Prathiksha’s act, adding that many a time elders need to learn things from the young ones. Speaking to the publication, he said those who want to provide first aid in such cases should be careful, as any injury or wound inside the mouth of the person sucking and spitting blood can put his life to risk. He said that it is of utmost importance to ensure that the blood so sucked does not get into the body.

Local block education officer, Sheshashayana Karinja, also has congratulated Prathiksha for her timely action. He said the department needs to identify such illustrious students and provide them encouragement, in recognition of their exemplary acts.