Kurutuku snakebite victim airlifted after three-day delay

(Kaieteur News) – A 38-year-old woman from Kurutuku, Region Seven, was airlifted to Georgetown on Wednesday, three days after she was bitten by a venomous snake and the village’s health centre reportedly lacked the antidote needed to treat her. The delay has left relatives questioning why medical personnel at the Kurutuku Health Centre did not take immediate steps to have the woman evacuated for urgent medical attention. The woman, identified as Barbara Melville, was reportedly bitten near her ankle on Sunday afternoon while fishing in a creek along the Cuyuni River.

She was rushed to the Kurutuku Health Centre, where she was reportedly told that the facility did not have the necessary antivenom in its inventory. As a result, Melville returned home, while her relatives sought ways to manage her condition.

Kaieteur News understands that the affected area was tied in an attempt to prevent the venom from spreading through her body. She was also reportedly administered a home remedy, but her condition subsequently worsened. Relatives said Melville began bleeding through her mouth, prompting them to reach out to the media for assistance in securing an emergency medical evacuation from the remote community.