Snakebite victim may be going home next week

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Medical Center director Gloria Duterte said zookeeper Ronaldo “Ronron” Aventurado’s physical condition continues to improve after his attending physicians injected him with anti-venom.

Duterte said Aventurado, who has been paralyzed since he was brought to CCMC by his colleagues last Tuesday afternoon, can already sit up and talk. Duterte is hoping that Aventurado may already be released from the hospital by next week.

Aventurado, a casual worker of the Cebu City government assigned as a zookeeper, was rushed to CCMC after he was bitten in the left hand by a Philippine cobra that wandered into the zoo. He was able to catch the reptile which is now being kept inside an aquarium at the zoo.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Council on Wednesday is expected to ask Department of Health officials to be always prepared to respond to emergency situations because it was found out that not a single hospital here has anti-venom for persons bitten by poisonous snakes.

In his proposed resolution submitted before the City Council, Councilor Edgardo Labella said the incident involving Aventurado should be considered as a wake-up call for the government agencies involved, particularly DOH, to be always prepared for emergencies.

“A grave emergency arose because, as it turned out, the needed anti-toxin for the snakebite was not available in any of the government hospitals and health agencies in Cebu, including the Department of Health in the city,” Labella said.

Labella thanked former councilor Sylvan Jakosalem who quickly contacted his friend Jessup Bahinting for the use of his private plane just to get four vials of anti-venom from Camiguin.   - THE FREEMAN