Snakebite represents a significant health issue all over the
world, affecting millions of people each year with as many as 95,000 -150,000
deaths reported worldwide.
India is considered
to be one of the worst affected country in snakebite. Government Policies
related to compensation from snake bite is still not defined and there are no
official records & survey of the incidents of snakebites reported
countrywide. Further, lack of clarity and ignorance among people about the
procedure to be adopted for addressing snakebites is widely prevalent.
We conducted a study within urban and rural villages
of Thane District, Maharashtra, India and did household survey of 200 families
effected by snakebite. During the said survey, we interacted personally with
people inflicted with snakebite & their families to understand the health
and socio-economic effects of the incident, the treatments obtained and their
views about future improvements.
Our Survey highlights the following key points:
Snakebite incidence is higher when compared to attack by
other animals like ,leopard etc.
Majority of snake bite incidents go unreported
Medical aid/help from recognized medical centers is not
defined and up to standard.
The treatment budget varies from case to case and sometimes
cost may rise up to Indian Rupees 25,000 also.
The economic impact of incident on family of the victim
could lead to situations like temporary loss of employment, coma, paralysis of
limbs etc.
Our recommendations can be broadly classified into the
following :
Accessibility of antivenom and related vaccination in
Government and Private Hospital at
affordable prices.
Proper medical
infrastructure in Government Hospital.
Policy related to compensation for the victim &
families.
Policy framework to record the incidents of snake bites
Snake bites victim information / Survey form
