A state human rights panel in India is seeking answers after a government hospital acknowledged that a 3-year-old's snakebite case was handled carelessly before the child died.
The case involves Sultan Shaikh, a boy from Ambernath whose family said he did not receive immediate care after they rushed him to Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar, in June 2026.
Here's what to know
According to The Free Press Journal, the State Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance after media coverage of the death and received a report from Dr. Manohar Bansode, Civil Surgeon of Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar.
The order also said the internships of three interns who were present were extended by a month. It cited Bansode's preliminary fact-finding inquiry, which determined that "the subject case of snake bite was carelessly handled by Dr. Asia Shaikh and Mrs. Sangita Munde, the staff nurse."
For the October 26 hearing, the SHRC has summoned the Thane Deputy Director of Health Services for the Mumbai Circle and asked for an action-taken report.
More background
The incident occurred after Sultan was bitten on the waist while playing inside his home in Ambernath's Shiv Mandir-Kailas Colony area. Family members said he began crying uncontrollably, and after they noticed the snake, they rushed him to the government-run Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar.
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The family accused doctors at Central Hospital of delaying treatment and demanding a photograph of the snake before proceeding with medical intervention.
A family member said, "The doctors allegedly asked us to show them a photograph of the snake that bit our son. They said treatment could only proceed after identifying the snake. While we were struggling to explain the situation, valuable time was lost."
What's being done?
Bansode said he had sent his report to the Thane Deputy Director of Health Services for the Mumbai Circle and was waiting for that office to take action.
While it may not always be possible to photograph the snake, it can help doctors identify what kind of venom they are dealing with.
Where can I learn more?
Sultan Shaikh's death also fits into a larger public health picture in India, where dangerous animal encounters and climate-related health risks are putting extra strain on medical systems. In emergencies like snakebites, those pressures can make a fast, effective hospital response even more critical.
• Across India, rising temperatures are driving more dangerous snake encounters and bites.
• In India, a snake in a washing machine bit two people and panicked a hospital.
• In Delhi, vector-borne disease spread strained municipal health systems during a wider emergency.
Each of these stories points to the same basic concern: When a medical emergency unfolds fast, hospitals need clear protocols and the ability to act without delay. That broader context helps explain why the response in Ulhasnagar is facing such close scrutiny.
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