Sir,
I would like to invite the attention of all the concerned authorities as well as the public towards management of snakebites in government hospitals. To start with, the incidents of snakebites are not new in any country including India. These are as old as our civilization is . Before the development of Ayurveda and modern allopathy, the treatment of snakebites was done by local hakims and tantriks. The victims/patients had full faith in these people and were psychologically confident that they will be properly cured. Besides, there was no research on the anatomy and toxicology of the snakes. That is why, the success rate of snakebites treatment under traditional methods was higher.
But it seems that there is very poor management of snakebites in the Government hospitals. As per my own observations, there is hardly any trustworthy treatment in the Government hospitals. In this context I would like to cite some examples of SDH, Nowshera. On the night of August 4,2018,a woman of village Dandesar (Nowshera)got a snakebite. Her husband lost no time in shifting her to the SDH Nowshera. But the doctors could not diagnose the case and referred her to GMC, Hospital, Jammu where she died. Similarly, about four years back, a young man of 35 years age belonging to village Chakjaralan after being bitten by the snake was brought to this hospital for treatment, but was referred to Jammu where he later on died.
It indicates that there is no management of snakebites in the government hospitals including SDH Nowshera despite the fact that the the subject of snakebites is taught at both the graduate and postgraduate degree in medicines. And also being an emergency situation in hospital, the basic tools and techniques with necessary medicines should also be kept in ready form. Besides,it is also well known to all concerned medical authorities that this is the peak season of snakebites for which there should be a state of complete preparedness in all hospitals. But the experience reflects that the concerned hospital authorities do not take this matter seriously and treat the snakebite cases in a causal manner. Consequently, the people are forced to go for the traditional methods of treatment. Hence, the concerned authorities of Health Department should treat the matter as most urgent and take all necessary measures to improve the system in future.
O P Sharma
Bagnoti Nowshera
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