THERE IS a surge in snake-bite patients being admitted to various government hospitals here in the city. However, due to non-availability of anti-snake venom (ASV) injections in government hospitals, kin of patients have to spend thousands of rupees in purchasing the injection from private shops. In the last 10 days, 24 such patients have been admitted at KPM Hospital, 36 at UHM Hospital and 44 at LLR Hospital.
At present, three snake-bite patients in a critical condition have been admitted to the eight-bed intensive care unit (ICU) of the LLR Hospital.
Ironically, the anti snake venom (ASV) injection is either not available in these hospitals, or doctors are not aware about its availability in hospitals. But in all this poor man’s treatment is getting affected and kin of patients who normally hail from poor background are left with no choice but to purchase the injection from private shops.
The ASV injection at private medical store costs around Rs 425. And on an average, every patient has to given 10 to 25 ASV injections, to save his life.
Moreover, the LLR Hospital staff is issuing self-contradictory statements about its availability. LLR Hospital ICU in charge Arti Lal Chandani while talking to the Hindustan Times said, “There is no supply of ASV injections in hospitals and to arrange these injections, we have to contribute money from our side.”
LLR Hospital chief medical superintendent PN Vajpayee said, “There are ASV injections in abundance, provided doctors ask us to them supply at the particular place but sadly doctors ask kin of patients to buy the ASV injections from private shops.”
{{/usCountry}}LLR Hospital chief medical superintendent PN Vajpayee said, “There are ASV injections in abundance, provided doctors ask us to them supply at the particular place but sadly doctors ask kin of patients to buy the ASV injections from private shops.”
{{/usCountry}}The scene at the ICU in LLR Hospital is pathetic, as Awadhesh (28), son of Hanuman, and resident of Banda is on bed no. 8 and he has been battling death since June 30. He has been injected 23 ASV injections purchased from outside, according to Akhilesh, brother of Awadhesh. Awadhesh while talking to HT claimed, “I have spent Rs 40,000 on the treatment of my brother, who is a home guard and in the hospital, there is not even a single medicine. Every time we are asked to buy things from outside.”
Eleven-year-old Nagesh admitted to bed no. 3 of LLR’s ICU has been injected 15 ASV injections and 17-year-old Khushboo at bed no. 7 of the same ward was injected 20 ASV injections to save her life.
Junior Doctors at the ICU said Khushboo had almost died as her pulse rate was missing but she made a miraculous comeback following a cardiac massage.
Snakebite patients are generally complex cases. The venom of the snake either causes vascular toxic, neuro toxic or myo toxic syndrome. In vascular toxic, the snake bitten person suffers cardiac arrest. In neuro toxic, the patient suffers a nervous breakdown and myo toxic has adverse effects on muscles of human beings and to save snake bitten patients the only remedy available is in the form of ASV injections.
Expressing concern over increasing number of snake bite patients being admitted to LLR Hospital Dr Chandani said, “The number of snake bite patients has increased phenomenally and one peculiar thing surfacing in this season is that most snake bitten patients have Arrhythmia, that disturb the heart’s rhythm and the patient could die.” She also said the absence of ASV injections in hospital affecting quality treatment. Meanwhile, UHM Hospital administration has asked for 400 ASV injections from the health department, confirmed UHM Hospital director SK Srivastava.