Hainan health authority publishes list of 29 hospitals with antivenom stock after tourist dies from suspected snake bite

The health authority of South China's Hainan Province has published the snake antivenom reserves at 29 hospitals across the province, Hainan Special Zone Daily reported on Thursday, after learning from the Hainan Provincial Health Commission. A tragic incident happened days ago when a 27-year-old female tourist died from a suspected snake bite in the island's tropical resort city Sanya.

According to the "antivenom stock status table" released by Hainan Provincial Health Commission, 29 hospitals at different levels in the province have stockpiled between one and four types of antivenom: antivenom for pit viper, for five-paced viper, for cobra, and banded krait.

Several hospitals, including Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Second People's Hospital, Sanya Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qionghai People's Hospital, and Ding'an People's Hospital have all four types of antivenom.

On Tuesday evening, the Sanya Health Commission released a report, confirming the death of a tourist and saying that it has formed an investigation team, sealed the medical records, and is working closely with experts to expedite the investigation.

The report stated that a tourist in Sanya was bitten by an unidentified creature and sought medical attention independently on Monday. Despite treatment at both Sanya Central Hospital and a certain military hospital, the efforts were unsuccessful, and the patient passed away.

The two hospitals mentioned in Sanya Health Commission's report were not among the "antivenom stock status table" released by the provincial health commission on Thursday.

The report reveals more details, saying the tourist surnamed Fu was bitten and bled by an unidentified creature on the way back to her hotel at around midnight on Monday. After a simple disinfection and wound treatment at the hotel, Fu arrived at Sanya Central Hospital at 1:05 am by taxi and said she sought medical treatment due to "nausea, vomiting, and numbness in the right lower limb one hour after being bitten by an unknown creature." She was later transferred to a military hospital, where she died despite resuscitation efforts.

Sanya Health Commission said they took the matter seriously and immediately established an investigation team, organizing representatives from Sanya Central Hospital, the military hospital, emergency services, public security, and tourism and culture departments to have face-to-face communication with the tourist's family at 2:26 am on Tuesday.

"Currently, the investigation team has sealed the medical records related to the two hospitals involved, and is working with a provincial-level expert group to conduct investigations and handle the aftermath for the deceased and providing consolation to the family members," the health authority stated.

According to the Beijing News, a family member surnamed Li of the victim said that his sister died from a snake bite while vacationing in Sanya. At the time, she was with her boyfriend near a flower bed when she was bitten. The hospital initially diagnosed it as an insect bite or an unidentified creature bite. Later, his sister developed complications, fainted, and had convulsions. After being transferred to another hospital, she passed away.

Liu Zelin, a member of Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, previously suggested accelerating the establishment of a province-wide standardized network for snakebite treatment to ensure residents' health, hinews.cn reported. Liu noted that there are 74 species of snakes in Hainan Province, including 27 venomous species, and snakebites occur throughout the year in Hainan.