Maharashtra declares snakebite a notifiable disease, makes reporting compulsory
The Maharashtra government has declared snakebite a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for all hospitals, medical colleges and healthcare professionals to report every suspected or confirmed case and death.
The move follows the deaths of three tribal schoolgirls, with three others hospitalised, after a venomous snake bit them at a state government-aided residential school in Japtalai village, Gadchiroli district, on August 9. The government has since cancelled the school's licence.
Announcing the decision on Tuesday, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said it would strengthen monitoring of snakebite cases, ensure timely treatment and improve planning for the availability of anti-snake venom (ASV). The move would make prevention and treatment more systematic, prompt and effective, he added.
Under the notification, every health institution and medical practitioner must report snakebite cases to the relevant district health officer or district surgeon. Serious or fatal cases must be reported immediately through available communication systems.
Cases will be recorded through the Health Management Information System, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, or any other reporting system the government specifies, to build reliable, updated data on snakebites statewide.
The notification also sets up a nodal mechanism from state to district level for snakebite prevention and control. The director (hospitals) will oversee it at state level, while district surgeons and health officers will act as nodal officers at district level; in municipal corporation areas, the medical health officer or additional medical health officer will take on the role.
Health institutions treating snakebite patients must also maintain updated records of ASV received, used and in stock, to ensure adequate supplies in high-incidence areas.
Patient records will include the date and place of the bite, the patient's age and gender, the circumstances, symptoms of envenomation, treatment given, number of ASV vials administered, referral details, outcome and, in fatal cases, details of the death.
The government will study the location, circumstances, season and other factors linked to snakebite incidents and deaths to shape local prevention measures, Abitkar said.
District health authorities will be responsible for raising awareness on prevention, prompt reporting, first aid, timely referral and proper treatment. Treatment must follow guidelines issued from time to time by the Centre, the state government or other competent authorities, the notification said.
Abitkar had earlier told the state assembly, on July 1, that the government would consider a proposal to set up a regional snake venom collection bank, stressing that awareness and timely treatment were among the most effective ways to reduce snakebite deaths.
According to the minister, snakebite deaths run at around 0.1%, with many fatalities caused by fear and delayed treatment rather than the venom itself. He underlined the importance of medical care within the "golden hour", the first 60 minutes after a bite.
BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute said the issue was not just about anti-venom availability but also its effectiveness, noting Maharashtra has several venomous snake species whose venom composition can vary even within the same species across regions.
