Cobra victimis now conscious

CEBU, Philippines - After having been injected with anti-venom, the health condition of the Cebu City zoo caretaker who was bitten by a cobra last Tuesday afternoon has improved.

Ronaldo “Ronron” Aventurado, a casual worker of the Cebu City Government assigned to the city zoo, is already awake. However, he couldn’t speak yet because doctors continue to give him oxygen through his nose and mouth.

Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) Director Gloria Duterte said that Aventurado, as of yesterday afternoon, can already move his hands and feet. When he was taken to the hospital, his whole body was completely paralyzed.

Duterte expects Aventurado to be released from confinement next week if his physical improvement continues. She said doctors already removed the mechanical ventilator, which was attached to the face of Aventurado to help him breathe when he was still unconcious.

Aventurado was bitten on his left wrist by a five-foot Philippine Cobra which he caught in the zoo’s compound. The snake is now being taken care of by Giovanni Stephen Romarate, the zoo’s caretaker.

“Makadungog na man siya kay mutangdo na man gani ug mo-smile kon imong komedyahan apan dili pa lang makasulti kay duna pa may oxygen,” said Duterte. (Apparently he could hear us now because he responds to us by nodding his head or smiling.)

Duterte said the Department of Health (DOH) sent 15 vials of anti-venom vaccines to CCMC on Wednesday night, while the Research Institute of Tropical Medicines (RITM) also sent another 12 vials of anti-venom yesterday.

The four vials of anti-venom vaccines that were injected to Aventurado last Wednesday came from the Camiguin General Hospital that is why Duterte wants to replace it, saying “Ilisan nato ang ilang gipagamit kay daghan man nga snake bite victims didto sa ila.” (We have to return Camiguin’s anti-venoms because snake bites are common in their place.)

Former city councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, who helped look for a plane to get the anti-venom vaccines from Camiguin, said the continuous destruction of our forests may have prompted snakes to start moving and nearer to us. Jakosalem said the government should be always prepared by getting stocks of anti-venom vaccines that can be used immediately.

“I think the DOH might now include that in their annual health plan,” Garcia said. - THE FREEMAN