Deaths due to snake bites up in rural Bengal due to non-availability of drugs

Anti-venom injections are not always available in the primary health centres situated in the rural parts of various districts as a result of which, the number of deaths caused by venomous snakes is going up.

According to sources, some primary and rural health centres in the districts often run dry of their stocks of anti-venom drug as a result of which, patients suffering from a snake bite need to be transferred to the district hospitals risking their lives. There is always a medical emergency if the snake bite is poisonous.

According to doctors, if a patient is administered anti-venom drugs within one-and-a-half hours to two hours from the time of the snake bite, the victim's life can be saved. In some cases, it is found that patients living in remote areas are not taken to the district or sub-divisional hospitals within the stipulated time. Many a time, it has been found that patients visiting the rural health centres are denied anti-venom drugs due to non-availability of the same.

In case of a person being bitten by a snake in the city or in the district towns, the risk is lesser as they could be taken to the district or sub-divisional hospitals where the patient can be applied the dose of medicine on the emergency basis. Even if the drug is not available in the hospitals, the patient's family members can buy them from the market to save the life of the patient.

It is also learnt that the medical colleges and hospitals across the state or the district and sub-divisional hospitals generally have the stock of anti-venom drug. But the picture in the rural health centres, where most of snake bite cases happen, is not so encouraging. Following the flood situation in some districts, many persons were found to have died due to snake bite.

A senior Health department official, however, said that the anti-venom drug is available in the rural health centres. There may be some instances where the stock is finished. It could be so due to prevailing flood condition in some districts. As a result of which, the medicine stocks may not have reached the health centres.

The official, however, assured that they would look into the matter and check the stock of the anti-venom drug in the primary health centres in the block levels.

Anti-venoms can prevent or reverse most of the snake bite effects thus playing a crucial role in minimising mortality and morbidity. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has given a detailed guideline in this regard, mandating the list of essential medicines at any primary healthcare package where snake bites occur.

Doctors said that snake bites can cause severe paralysis that may prevent breathing and/or bleeding disorders. This can also lead to fatal hemorrhage or kidney failure or tissue destruction leading to permanent disability of limbs.

"Awareness should be created in the rural areas. There are instances in villages where people take the victim to exorcists due to a lack of awareness. As a result of which, maximum deaths takes place in the rural areas," the official said.