The number of snakebite patients at Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) Hospital has risen, and so has the number of deaths. The rise in patients left the hospital short of antivenom, the medicine that neutralises snake venom. The hospital is now collecting antivenom from district and upazila hospitals to treat patients.

According to the hospital, 558 snakebite patients have been admitted this year, 108 of them bitten by venomous snakes. Twenty-seven people have died of venomous snakebites at the hospital.

In January this year 12 snakebite patients were admitted, two of them bitten by venomous snakes. Admissions were 22 in February, 58 in March, 47 in April, 65 in May, 79 in June, 124 in July and 151 in August.

Of the 27 deaths so far, two were in March, two in April, three in May, five in June, six in July and nine in August.

Hospital data show that most of the 108 people bitten by venomous snakes in Rajshahi this year were bitten by cobras. Kraits bit 23 of the patients, cobras 29 and Russell's vipers 20. Nine died of krait bites, one of a cobra bite and five of Russell's viper bites.

RMC Hospital director Brigadier General FM Shamim Ahmed said 80 per cent of the country's snakebite patients were admitted to the hospital. "There are many venomous snakes here, so there was a shortage of antivenom for a while in handling these patients, but that is no longer the case. I have written to the health department."

He said antivenom was being brought from district and upazila hospitals that had stocks but little demand, and that there was now enough.

Rajshahi Civil Surgeon Abu Sayeed Md Faruk said there were few patients at upazila level in Rajshahi, so those hospitals did not need antivenom, and it was therefore being supplied to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.