Pune: A doctor at the Otur Primary Health Center in Junnar taluka has been dismissed for negligence and delaying treatment for a four-year-old girl who was bitten by a cobra.

Contractual medical officer Dr. Vishal Dumbare was terminated from service effective July 31, 2024, for breaching appointment terms, according to an order from District Health Officer Dr. Sachin Desai of the Pune District Council issued on August 5, 2024.

More details on the incident reveal that Afroz Sheikh, a young girl, was sleeping with her mother at her grandfather’s house in Bhoirwadi on Monday, the 29th, when a venomous snake bit her around midnight.

Her family members immediately took her to the Otur Primary Health Center for treatment. The relatives informed the hospital staff that the girl had been bitten by a cobra.

A nurse from the hospital contacted Dr. Vishal Dumbare to inform him of the situation. Dr. Dumbare advised over the phone that the girl should be taken to Narayangaon for treatment since it was a cobra bite.

Subsequently, the young girl was declared dead by doctors in Narayangaon. The girl's relatives claimed that if the doctor at Otur had treated her, their child might have survived. They demanded action against the doctor for delaying treatment.

Tribal leader Devaram Lande took note of the incident and warned of protests, advocating for action against the doctor. Additionally, MNS Taluka President Tanaji Tambe demanded an inquiry into the incident and strict action against those responsible to prevent such occurrences in the future.