THE STAR (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) 06 October 04 Be prepared to treat snake bites, MB tells hospitals
Kuantan: Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has urged all hospitals in the state to keep a supply of anti-venin to treat snake bites.
He also called for a review in treatment procedures and standards in handling emergencies such as for snake bite cases.
Adnan said this when asked to comment on the death of 23-year-old Arni Syuhada Salleh after she was bitten by a King Cobra at her parent’s house in Kampung Lamir near Pekan.
The incident happened at 7pm on Friday, when she was helping to change the clothes of two younger family members. A 3m-long King Cobra that was lying near the bed bit her.
Adnan said that while Arni Syuhada’s death could not be prevented, he said the matter would have been different if the Pekan Hospital, where she was treated had anti-venin and the proper procedure was carried out in treating her.
He said Pahang’s Sultan Ahmad Shah and he were briefed on the matter on Monday by state health director Dr Hassan Abdul Rahman.
When contacted, Dr Hassan said all hospitals had anti-venin but the types varied, depending on the most common snakes found in the locales.
The anti-venin available in most hospitals were for bites from King Cobras, pit vipers (ular kapak) and sea-snakes.
Dr Hassan said that unfortunately the Pekan Hospital only had the anti-venin for pit viper bites.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/10/6/nation/9058000&sec=nation
DAILY EXPRESS (Sabah, Malaysia) 06 October 04 Call for anti-venom in all govt hospitals
Kuala Lumpur (Bernama): The Health Ministry has been asked to ensure that pharmacies at all government hospitals stock anti-venom though snakebite incidents are comparatively low in the country.
The request was made today by the former chairman of the Pekan Hospital Visitors Board, Datuk Mohamed Amin Daud.
He was commenting on a report quoting Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad that doctors at the Pekan Hospital could not treat a snakebite patient because the hospital did not stock anti-venom.
The patient, Arni Syuhada Salleh, 23, died at the hospital after she was bitten by a King Cobra on Friday at her home in Kampung Lamir, Pekan.
Mohamed Amin said he could not understand why that hospital did not stock anti-venom because Pekan and Rompin are near thick jungle where poisonous snakes like the King Cobra were found.
He suspected that lack of monitoring of medicine stocks could have led to a shortage of essential medicines at the hospital.
Mohamed Amin said he and other board members, who had served between 1988 and 2002, always gave top priority to the welfare of patients, including ensuring that hospitals stocked sufficient medicine.
He also said that the Health Ministry should also ensure that pharmacies disposed all expired medicine.
On the Visitors Board, Mohamed Amin said he and the other board members had submitted a request to the ministry to continue to serve for another term but there had been no response.
“We need this board to safeguard the welfare of patients and at the same time rectify any shortcomings of the administration of the hospital,” he added.
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=29780
