Mitigating snakebite deaths

The government must send specialists to rural health centres to ensure quick treatment for snakebite emergencies.

There is no good time for a medical emergency. But a medical emergency amid a pandemic is a double whammy. Worst, if the emergency is caused by snakebites in the Tarai, where there is a higher concentration of venomous snakes. As the country reels under the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk of a rise in the mortality rate among snakebite victims cannot be overruled. Hospitals across the country have been rendered mostly inaccessible for ailments other than coronavirus infection. Even if the hospitals themselves are admitting emergency patients, there are limited travel options to reach the hospitals as the country continues to observe restrictions.