Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 17 (IANS): A 27-year-old woman was bitten by a snake at a state-run hospital in Chittoor taluk of Kerala's Palakkad district on Wednesday as she brought her daughter for treatment.

According to a relative of the victim, identified as Gayathari, the incident occurred around 11 a.m.

"She had come to the hospital with her young daughter who had high fever since Tuesday night. Gayathari was asked to take the urine of her daughter for a test. After the sample was collected, she took a broom to clean the floor, and a snake came out and bit her," the relative said.

The snake was caught and kept in a bottle. Gayathari was quickly given first aid and moved to the nearby district hospital at Palakkad.

"We are told that she is better and will have to be in observation till tomorrow noon. Meanwhile, her blood samples are being sent for tests at regular intervals," the relative said.

Of late, the health sector in Kerala has figured in the news for numerous goof-ups and the most recent one was the case of an old man trapped in a lift for almost two days at the prestigious Medical College hospital in the state capital.