THE HIMILAYAN (Kathmandu, Nepal) 22 September 13 Supply of anti-snake venom delayed (Kritagya Regmi)
Kathmandu: The government’s plan to procure anti snake-venom has suffered with representatives of the supplier company remaining out of contact for long.
Dr Tara Pokharel, head of the Logistics Management Division at the Department of Health Services, said, “The government’s plan to buy 5,000 anti-snake venom doses has hit a snag with company officials staying out of contact. If we cannot reach them within this week, we will contact another company and procure the venom as soon as possible.” He informed that the World Health Organisation has donated 4,000 doses of the venom.
The government has already supplied 2,000 doses to the places where the risk of snakebite is very high. Bihari Mahoto, an official at LMD, said the division has supplied the doses to Bharatpur Hospital, Lumbini Zonal Hospital and Bheri Zonal Hospital, and regional medical stores at Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Butwal, and Hetauda. The division has not supplied doses to the regional medical store at Dhangadi pointing at a relatively low number of snakebite patients.
“Around 3,000 people suffer snakebite every year and more than 100 die due to the lack of treatment,” said GD Thakur, director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.
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