Snakebite deaths continue to rear its ugly head in rains despite cure

Raipur: The monsoon has barely settled over Chhattisgarh but another seasonal emergency has already begun unfolding across the state’s forests and villages due to lack of awareness and healthcare gaps.Within days of the rains, six people have died of snakebite in northern districts. Similar cases are now being reported from other forested districts where flooded snake burrows, people sleeping on floors and delayed access to healthcare create a deadly combination every rainy season.The deaths come at a time when India has declared snakebite a notifiable disease and rolled out an ambitious national mission to halve snakebite deaths by 2030.

Yet doctors, forest officials and conservationists say the biggest challenge is no longer the availability of anti-snake venom—it is getting patients to hospitals before myths, panic and delays turn a treatable emergency into a fatal one.‘The Venom Isn’t Always Biggest Killer. Delay Is.’Dr Yogendra Malhotra, professor of medicine at Pt JNM Medical College of Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, says the majority of snakebite deaths are preventable.

“Nearly 80% of snakes are non-venomous. Even in venomous bites, survival chances are very high if treatment begins early. Unfortunately, by the time many patients reach tertiary hospitals, they have already suffered hypoxic brain injury because breathing stopped for too long,” he told TOI.During the monsoon, snakes leave flooded burrows in search of dry shelter and often enter houses.“Snakes are not hunting humans. They are looking for warmth and shelter.

While moving, they may brush against a sleeping person’s body. A sudden movement startles them and they bite in self-defence,” he said.Krait bites, he explained, can be particularly deceptive. Victims often feel only a needle-prick sensation and go back to sleep, unaware that the neurotoxic venom is gradually paralysing the muscles that control breathing. Respiratory paralysis sets in, which may lead to death in sleep.The challenge in rural ChhattisgarhIn much forested Chhattisgarh, the first hospital capable of managing severe snakebite may be 70-80 km away.Patients are often referred from one health centre to another, losing valuable time. Officials also admit that snakebite data varies across different govt portals, making accurate assessment difficult.Experts say strengthening ambulance services, referral systems and early treatment at peripheral health centres remains one of the biggest challenges identified under NAP-SE (National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming).Faith healing continues to cost livesDoctors say one of the biggest obstacles remains the widespread dependence on traditional healers.Instead of rushing victims to hospitals, many families first visit Baiga-Gunia practitioners, who may ask to suck the wound, burn it with heated objects, apply herbs or tie tight bands around the limb.“None of these methods removes venom. In fact, sucking introduces infection, burning damages tissue and tight tourniquets worsen complications,” Dr Malhotra said.Ironically, he said, the popularity of traditional healers is sustained because most snakebites are from non-venomous species.“When people bitten by harmless snakes recover after visiting a faith healer, the healer gets the credit. The next victim may not be so fortunate.”Sometimes patients are mistaken for deadPerhaps the most dangerous misconception surrounds cobra and krait bites.Neurotoxic venom slows breathing and pulse to such an extent that victims may appear lifeless.“Families often assume the patient has died because there is almost no movement,” the doctors said. “In reality, many are in a reversible state. Even if anti-snake venom is not immediately available, ventilator support and timely airway management can save them.”A wildlife issue as much as a health issueForest officials say snakebite cannot be viewed solely through the lens of public health.Chhattisgarh is home to 42 species of snakes, of which about 15 are commonly encountered around human habitation.

Only four are responsible for the vast majority of medically significant bites—the Indian cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper and the much rarer saw-scaled viper.With the onset of the monsoon, rescue teams receive a surge of calls as snakes move into houses, schools, cattle sheds and agricultural fields.Working with the forest department, Nova Nature Welfare Society has emerged as key partners in snake conservation and snakebite mitigation in past years.

Besides rescuing snakes and relocating them safely, the organisation conducts awareness drives in villages and schools to discourage harmful traditional practices and educate people about safe first aid.Under the King Cobra conservation project, Nova and the Korba forest division have also trained around 400 doctors from districts under the Bilaspur circle in recognising symptoms of snakebite and improving clinical management.The compensation many families never claimFew families know that deaths caused by snakebite qualify for Rs 4 lakh compensation under provisions applicable to notified natural disasters through the revenue department.Locals said lack of awareness means many bereaved families, particularly in remote tribal areas, never apply for the assistance.