Kathmandu, Aug 12: Antivenom, the lifesaving medicine used to treat venomous snakebites, is in short supply across Nepal, with major hospitals struggling to treat patients during the peak snakebite season.
Narayani Hospital in Birgunj, a major referral centre for snakebite treatment, has run out of antivenom and has issued a notice asking snakebite patients to seek treatment elsewhere.
According to hospital spokesperson Dr Uday Narayan Singh, patients from Bara, Parsa, Rautahat and Sarlahi regularly come to the hospital for snakebite treatment. During the monsoon, the hospital receives an average of eight snakebite patients a day, with about two requiring antivenom.
The shortage began after the hospital exhausted its stock supplied by the Madhesh Province Health Supply Centre.
“This is the peak season for snakebites. Patients are arriving, but we cannot provide the medicine. We were forced to issue the notice,” Singh said.
Doctors warn that delays in administering antivenom can be fatal, particularly after bites from highly venomous snakes. Cobra bites can produce symptoms within 30 minutes to three hours, while symptoms from krait bites may appear within two to 12 hours.
“Without timely antivenom, serious complications can occur,” Singh said. “We have reached a situation where we have to turn away seriously ill snakebite patients.”
With no antivenom available at Narayani Hospital, some patients have been crossing the border to hospitals in Raxaul, India, where the medicine is available. Private hospitals in Nepal generally do not stock antivenom for snakebite treatment.
Snakebite risk rises during the hot and rainy months as snakes become more active. Farmers and others working in fields are particularly vulnerable.
Nepal has recorded around 90 snake species, of which 17 are considered venomous. Kraits, cobras and Russell’s vipers are among the most dangerous, commonly referred to as the “Big Three.” Their bites can cause severe illness and death.
The shortage is also affecting Lumbini Province. The provincial Health Supply Management Centre currently has only around 100 vials of antivenom and cannot adequately meet hospitals’ demand.
Centre director Dr Rajendra Kumar Pandit said the province is moving supplies between facilities when shortages occur. Hospitals in Dang, Bardiya and the Lumbini area see particularly high numbers of snakebite patients.
Antivenom is not readily available through ordinary pharmacies. A severely envenomed patient may require more than 20 vials, making treatment expensive if purchased privately. The government therefore procures antivenom and provides it free through health facilities.
Experts say most snakes are not venomous, but the risk from a venomous bite remains serious because treatment must be provided quickly.
A 2022 study by the University of Geneva, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and the World Health Organization estimated that up to 37,661 people are bitten by snakes in Nepal each year, with as many as 3,225 deaths.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Sher Bahadur Pun described antivenom as a “lifesaving drug” whose supply should never be allowed to fall short.
In the Tarai, bites from cobras and kraits can cause a rapid deterioration. Without timely treatment, patients can become critically ill within minutes to an hour, leaving little room for delay.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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