Latest news with #NPSE
Hans India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Govt orders officials across dists to review audit of snake bite deaths
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has authorised all Deputy Commissioners (DC) across districts to review the audit of the snakebite related deaths and take necessary measures to ensure effective implementation of National Pro-gramme for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NPSE), offi-cials said on Monday. The move follows concerns raised by the health department, which stated that despite efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to snakebite, the state 'continues to face challenges in the implementation of the pro-gramme'. To address these challenges, the health department issued an order stating that the H1N1 death audit committee in the districts constitut-ed under the official memorandum is also assigned with the responsibility of audit of deaths due to snakebite. 'All the Deputy Commissioners of the Districts are here by authorised to re-view the audit of the deaths due to snakebite in the committee already con-stituted under Official Memorandum. The Deputy Commissioners are here by directed to conduct review meetings of snakebite cases in the district at least once in every quarter and implementation of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming,' it said in its official or-der. In addition, the Deputy Commissioners of the districts have been directed to take necessary measures to correct the challenges noticed in the imple-mentation of the NPSE. According to the department, in Karnataka, the Snake Bite Prevention and Control Program was launched and implement-ed from 2023-24. On February 12, 2024, the state government declared snakebite deaths and cases notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Dis-eases Act, 2020. In 2023, Karnataka reported 6,596 cases of snakebites and 19 deaths. Af-ter snakebite cases and deaths due to it were declared as 'Notifiable dis-ease' last year, the state reported 13,235 cases and 100 deaths in 2024. The health department highlighted various measures taken by the state to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to snakebite --- such as -- ensuring availability of Anti Snake Venom (ASV) in sufficient stock starting from PHC (Primary Health Centre) to district hospitals. Issuance of SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to administer initial load-ing dose of 10 vials for all snakebite cases with signs and symptoms of snake bite envenomation. Physicians and Medical officers were trained at different levels for managing the snakebite cases. 'Despite all these measures taken, state is facing some challenges in the implementation of the program,' the health department said, pointing out that reporting of cases and deaths due to snakebites is not 100 per cent as some of the medical colleges and private hospitals are not reporting all cases or there is delay in reporting. It also cited that snakebite victims still seek treatment from traditional faith healers leading to loss of precious time, which is the main cause of death as per death analysis.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
All snakebite deaths in Karnataka will now be audited at district level
With a steady rise in the number of snakebite cases and deaths, the State Health Department will now audit all snakebite deaths. The H1N1 death audit committee in the districts has now been assigned with the responsibility of auditing deaths from snakebites, according to a recent government order (GO). Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the bite of a venomous snake, which are usually accidental in nature. The State reported 3,392 cases and 20 deaths this year as of April 28. The number of recorded snakebite envenoming cases and deaths in Karnataka have seen a sharp rise from 6,596 bite cases and 19 deaths in 2023 to 13,235 cases and 101 deaths in 2024. This follows Karnataka declaring snakebite envenoming cases and deaths notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020 from February 2024. What the GO says? According to the GO, all the Deputy Commissioners have been authorised to review the audit of deaths from snakebites by the H1N1 committee in their jurisdiction. The Deputy Commissioners have also been directed to conduct a review of the implementation of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NPSE) in their jurisdictional district at least once in every quarter. They have also been directed to take necessary measures to correct the challenges noticed in the implementation of NPSE, stated the GO. Ansar Ahmed, State Project Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), said after the snakebite envenoming cases and deaths were declared notifiable, measures were initiated to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to snakebites. 'While anti-snake venom (ASV) is made available in sufficient stocks in all facilities (starting from primary health centres to district hospitals), standard operating procedures (SOPs) to administer initial loading dose of 10 vials for all snakebite cases with signs and symptoms of snakebite envenomation have been issued. Besides, physicians and medical officers were trained at different levels for managing snakebite cases,' he said. Challenges However, despite all measures, the State is facing some challenges in the implementation of the programme. 'Reporting of cases and deaths is not 100% as some of the medical colleges and private hospitals are not reporting all cases or there is delay in reporting. Besides, bite victims still seek treatment from traditional faith healers leading to loss of precious time, which is the main cause of death as per death analysis,' Dr. Ahmed said. While medical officers in the periphery must be continuously trained, community awareness must be created through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) involving other departments, the official pointed out. Following this, there was a need to set up a district-level mechanism for better monitoring of all snakebite deaths, he added. Year-wise snakebite cases, deaths 2022: 3,439 cases; 17 deaths 2023: 6,596 bite cases; 19 deaths 2024: 13,235 cases; 101 deaths 2025 (till April 28): 3,392 cases; 20 deaths //////////////////////////////////////////
