Victims of snakebites are flooding treatment centres across the country as the scorching heat forces the reptiles out of their holes into bushes, farms, roads and peoples homes in search of fresh air. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that states worst hit include Gombe, Plateau, Borno, Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and Bauchi, with herders,…
The situation of the victims appeared worsened by the sharp rise in the cost of the usually imported Anti-Snake Venom , following the high cost of foreign exchange. “Other snakes like puff adder and cobra will show you the sign and will not bite unless provoked. If you are smart, you leave the place quickly,” he explained.“We received 2,000 vials from NEDC which we give free to patients. It should last for sometime.He listed some of the challenges the centre was confronted with, to include inadequate manpower as the number of patients far outnumber the staff strength.
“If he comes late, besides the ASV, he will definitely need blood and the cost of taking care of such patients will be much,” he said. At the rural medical outfit owned by the Jos University Teaching Hospital Dr Nyam Azi, a medical officer, told NAN that a vial of ASV, which cost between N23,000 and N25,000 in 2021, had risen to N50,000 or even more.“Considering that it is peasants that are mostly affected, N50,000 per vial is too heavy.Azi revealed that the health facility records more than 20 cases per week and attributed the high figure to the heat season usually one of the peak periods of snakebite cases in the area.