Maharashtra mulls notifying snakebites as disease, plans regional venom banks
Mumbai, July 1
Maharashtra Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar on Wednesday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the department will send a proposal to the Law and Judiciary Department to officially declare snakebites a "Notified Disease" in the state in order to ensure effective countermeasures against snakebites.
Additionally, a joint meeting involving the Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation, the Forest Department and relevant agencies will be convened to establish regional 'Snake Venom Banks'. National experts will be invited to help draft a strategic policy.
The Minister also assured that, as per standard guidelines, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state maintain an adequate stock of anti-snake venom (ASV), the minister said during his reply to a calling attention motion moved by Vikram Pachpute, who highlighted the rising mortality rate from snakebites and emphasised the need to upgrade anti-venom vaccines.
Pachpute noted that while four major types of venomous snakes are found in the state, a single polyvalent anti-venom is administered regardless of the species.
"The venoms vary drastically -- haemotoxic, neurotoxic and cytotoxic -- yet a single polyvalent vaccine is manufactured for all three. Furthermore, snake species change across geographies; a cobra found in Chennai differs from a cobra in Maharashtra. We need customised vaccines for regional venoms. Currently, Maharashtra only uses vaccines derived from Chennai snake venom. Can we establish regional venom banks and explore manufacturing monovalent vaccines instead of polyvalent ones?" Pachpute questioned.
He also asked if snakebite could be declared a "natural disaster".
MLA Shweta Mahale added that farmers, agricultural labourers and rural residents are the primary victims of snakebites. She claimed that rural hospitals often face a shortage of anti-venom stocks and demanded a dedicated policy for snakebite prevention.
In response, Minister Abitkar stated that anti-venom vaccines are available at all PHCs. He mentioned that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is actively working on developing species-specific vaccines.
"We have developed Anti-Snake Venom Kits that help determine whether a snake bite is venomous or non-venomous. Identifying the specific snake type will allow for highly targeted treatment," he said.
MLA Arjun Khotkar urged the government to also address the serious health issues caused by poisonous insect bites in the state.
MLA Jayant Patil pointed out that a severe lack of funds at the Haffkine Corporation has brought the production of polio and anti-snake venom vaccines to a complete standstill.
Addressing this, Abitkar promised that a meeting would be held within the next eight days to clear the necessary funds and resolve the crisis.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative but I'm skeptical about implementation. Haffkine Institute is practically bankrupt as MLA Patil pointed out - how will they fund these 'venom banks'? Also, why not declare snakebites a natural disaster? Farmers are dying and getting zero compensation. Talk is cheap, we need action! 🙏
As someone working in public health in rural India, this is a long-overdue move. The polyvalent anti-venom issue is real - we need monovalent vaccines tailored to local species. But let's not forget about training village health workers to identify snakes quickly. Time is tissue when venom is involved. 🕐
My grandmother was a traditional snake healer in Konkan - she knew which herbs to use for different bites. Modern medicine should collaborate with such local knowledge instead of ignoring it. Also, why only snakes? What about scorpion stings and other insect bites that kill thousands every year? MLA Khotkar raised a valid point.
Important step but the government needs to address the root cause - deforestation and urbanization are driving snakes into human habitations. In Vidarbha, we've seen more snake encounters after forest clearing for mining. No amount of venom banks will help if we don't preserve their habitat. Balance is key! 🌿
Impressive that Maharashtra is taking this seriously. The idea of snake venom banks could revolutionize treatment response times. However, I hope they don't just create another bureaucratic layer. The real test will be when a farmer in a remote village can get the right anti-
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