Tamil Nadu has taken a major public health step by requiring physicians and hospitals to use the infectious disease monitoring system to notify public health authorities of snake bite cases. As part of the state’s continuous efforts to address animal bites as a serious health issue, this decision intends to enhance snake bite management, guarantee access to immunization and anti-venom, and eventually guide policy decisions based on trustworthy data.
In order to address the frequency and effects of snake bites, the state’s Directorate of Public Health has emphasized the significance of this reporting system. Doctors must give snake venom serum to victims in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) very away, even before sending them to larger hospitals for additional care, according to Director Dr. T S Selva Vinayagam. The goal of this procedure is to avoid complications and offer instant relief. Each health center must always have at least 10 vials of snake venom serum and 20 vials of rabies vaccination on hand, according to state regulations.
Doctors are advised to give anti-venom as a precaution because of the danger posed by venomous species such as vipers and cobras, even though more than 70% of snake bites are thought to be non-venomous. Serious symptoms like swelling, tissue damage, paralysis, and in rare instances, death, can be brought on by these snakes’ venom. As a result, minimizing the chance of death and irreversible harm requires prompt anti-venom administration.
As of early November, Tamil Nadu recorded 13,518 snake bite cases and 21 snake deaths in 2024, down from 43 deaths and 19,795 cases in 2023. However, because there is a dearth of reliable data from rural and isolated locations, public health experts think the true number of bites and fatalities may be underestimated. Effective prevention strategies and appropriate resource allocation are hampered by underreporting, according to Dr. P. Sampath, Additional Director of Public Health.
The state health department will work with forest officials to map snake species and populations throughout Tamil Nadu in order to enhance surveillance even more. It is anticipated that this all-encompassing strategy will improve treatment results, resource allocation, and data gathering. In the future, better tracking, better health responses, and more informed public health policies will be ensured by the designation of snakebite as a notifiable disease.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
