NHRC notices to Bihar govt over doc's refusal to treat snake

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Bihar government and police over a doctor refusing to treat a boy for snake bite, which resulted in his death.
"The Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a 12-year-old boy lost his life even as the doctor and his family continued to dispute on whether he was a victim of a snake bite or rat bite," an NHRC statement said today.
The boy -- Rohit Kumar -- was taken by his family for treatment to a community health centre in Goraiyakothi area of Siwan district late in the night on June 17.

"The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim child.
"Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bihar and Superintendent of Police, Siwan, Bihar calling for a report within two weeks," the statement added.
According to the media report, the boy's family insisted that the doctor provide treatment for snake bite to him but the latter was of the view that he was bitten by a rat.
When the family persisted for treatment for snake bite, the doctor stopped the treatment and asked the boy's family to bring the snake first. While the family members rushed to trace the snake, a lot of time was wasted and the condition of the child became critical, the report said.

The boy was then rushed in the middle of the night to Sadar Hospital where he expired. After protests by the boy's family members, a case was registered against the doctor by the police.