Proper treatment for snakebite patients

As many as 400,000 people are bitten by snakes every year in Bangladesh, and 7,511 of them die of the injury, according to a recent study conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services' Non Communicable Disease Control unit. This is one of the biggest causes of deaths in the country. The incidence of snakebite increases particularly during floods when snakes slither out of their habitats and take shelter in the houses of people.
Those who survive the venomous snakebite can suffer from various complications including paralysis and psychological disorders. Those affected live mostly in the rural areas and often rely on agricultural activities for their income. These activities put them at risk of snakebite for working in areas infested by venomous snakes. Treatment for snakebite victims in village settings is, therefore, greatly delayed, because existing anti-venom therapies are mainly provided in district headquarters. As snakebite treatment is not available in villages, many people take help from local quacks who use kabiraji (herbal) medicine. As a result, the condition of these victims deteriorates further in most cases. In this situation, we urge the authorities concerned to provide appropriate treatment and medicines for snakebites at the union level health centres across the country.

Ashikujaman Syed, Research Assistant,
Bioinformatics Research Lab,
Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),
syedashikujaman@yahoo.com