Snake bites Lupon member

CEBU, Philippines - After zookeeper Ronald Aventurado was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center after he was bitten by a Philippine cobra last Tuesday, another person rushed himself to the same hospital after being bitten by a snake yesterday afternoon. 

Fortunately for Jorge Arcayan, 51, of Villa Leyson 2 Subdivision, Barangay Bacayan, he had been bitten by a non-poisonous snake and he was only given an anti-tetanus shot.

Arcayan already hacked dead the 24-inch baby python and placed it in an empty water bottle before bringing it to CCMC.

Dr. Ludwig Sandalo, who attended to Arcayan, reportedly told the patient that if the snake was venomous, Arcayan would have a hard time breathing shortly after the incident. But since Arcayan’s breathing remained normal even after an hour since he was bitten, Sandalo just prescribed him an anti-tetanus drug.

“Nakulbaan pud ko uy, mao bitaw diri jud ko nidagan kay kahibaw man ko nga naa silay anti-venom diri,” said Arcayan in an interview.

Arcayan received his anti-tetanus shot at 5:45 p.m.

Arcayan, who is a member of Barangay Bacayan’s Lupong Tagapamayapa, said that he saw the snake under a table in his house past 2 p.m. He then grabbed two kitchen knives and started hacking it, but then noticed his right index finger was already bleeding from a bite.

He said he wrapped a rubber band around the finger to prevent any possible venom from traveling up his arm, but Sandalo immediately ordered it removed as his finger was already turning black from the pressure.

The Lupon member said it was not the first time that a snake was found in their area as another python was discovered inside his neighbor’s house before. 

And while Arcayan happily walked away from the hospital shortly after receiving his shot, Aventurado, although recovering, is still confined in the same hospital.     - THE FREEMAN