Snake-bite patients in Rajshahi hospitals suffer badly

RAJSHAHI, Oct 21: Inadequate supply of anti-venom serum ( injection) in many of the health complexes at upazila levels of greater Rajshahi districts, most of the venomous snake-bite patients are dying without timely treatment.. However, the serum is available only in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and at Natore sadar hospital.
It is learnt, among nine Upazila Health complexes of Rajshahi, only two have the Anti-venom supply while the process was underway to supply anti-venom to rest seven health complexes, informed sources of Civil Surgeon office in Rajshahi said.
However, physicians of the health complexes opined that the anti-venom serum should hav been supplied to all health complexes before starting of the rainy season. Now, the winter season is approaching and the snake-menace decreases during the winter. They further said, the death rate of snake-bite patients might have decreased substantially if the anti-venom serum would have been supplied in due time.
According to a source of Natore Sadar Hospital, during the current month only 280 vials of anti-venom serum were supplied to the hospital while 60 anti-venoms vials were supplied to Singra upazila and 40 each vial of anti-venoms were supplied to rest of the upazilas of the district.
Meanwhile, a source from Naogaon informed, there is no supply of anti-venom serum in any health complex of the district.
Civil Surgeon Office sources of Cghapainawabganj district informed, physicians of the district got training on treatment of snake-bite patients but there is no supply of anti-venom in any health complex of the district.
According to sources of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, a total of 463 snake-bite patients took treatment at RMCH from 2019 to September-2010. Of those, 238 patients were cured and 40 died in 2019 and till October-15 this year, 225 patients were cured after treatment and 12 died.
On-duty doctors at the hospital opined, if the patients were brought to the hospital in due time, they might have been treated and cured but those snake-bite patients waste their time in taking treatment to the quacks or to the rural practitioners. As a result, they die from the poisonous action of venom before reaching or just after reaching to the hospital.

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