With the onset of monsoon, more cases of snake bite are being reported at Government-run MGM Medical College and Hospital and other health centres in city.
Two persons have already died at the MGM Medical College Hospital within the past one week of the six patients who had turned up at the hospital with the complaint of snake-bite. Of the remaining four, one patient was cured on getting the anti-venom from the market, but three other patients fled the hospital as they could not arrange the injection from the market.
A snake-bite victim is supposed to be administered five to seven anti-venom injection, each vial costs Rs 850 Concerned over the situation, the East Singhbhum district civil surgeon Jagat Bhushan Prasad has sent a requisition to the State health department for adequate number of anti-venom drugs as early as possible.
"We have sent a requisition to the state health department for supply of adequate number of anti-venom drugs, as there is no stock of the important drug in the Government-run hospitals, including the MGM Medical College and also the Primary Health Centres in the blocks," said Prasad.
Though the medical college hospital is getting an increasing number of patients of snake-bite complaints, but there is no stock of the anti-venom at the hospital. The data reveals that patients coming from urban areas are very few. Doctors say that it is only during monsoon that number of snake-bite cases rise as snakes look for dry land with rain water entering their holes.
"Such cases are more common in villages as they have a lot of foliage. Not all species are poisonous but species like the common krait and cobra can be found in the green cover. If not treated timely, their bites can be fatal even," said a doctor.
A sudden rise in the snake-bite cases has been noticed after the arrival of heavy rains in the district following a long spell of drought. Unhygienic conditions in rural areas have been creating a real health hazard for the residents as many parts of the town are littered with filth, trash and garbage.
MGM Medical College and Hospital superintendent SS Prasad admitted that there was no stock of the anti-venom injection in the hospital. "We have already sent requisition to the State health department for the anti-venom just after the snake-bite cases started turning up at this hospital, but so far there is no reply from the health department so far," said Prasad.