Snakebite: Victims flood hospitals as cost of anti-venom drug soars

There has been a drastic increase in the cases of snakebites across the country as Victims are flooding treatment centres.

READ ALSO: Nigeria records 20,000 cases of snake bites, 2,000 deaths annually — Mamora

The scorching heat forces the reptiles out of their holes into bushes, farms, roads and peoples homes in search of fresh air.

According to report, states worst hit include Gombe, Plateau, Borno, Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and Bauchi, with herders, farmers and rural dwellers mostly the victims.

According to news correspondents, who visited some snake treatment centres, they found that most of the patients were on the floor with medics complaining that facilities were being overstretched.p

The situation of the victims appeared worsened by the sharp rise in the cost of the usually imported Anti-Snake Venom (ASV), following the high cost of foreign exchange.

At Snakebites Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe State, Dr. Sulaiman Mohammed, principal medical officer, said about 300 patients had been admitted from January to date. He attributed the sharp rise in the number of cases to the hot weather.

Giving a breakdown, he said 69 patients were admitted in January while 79 came in February. More than 135 have been admitted in March with the figures increasing by the day.

MTO/NAN