KOZHIKODE: Leave it to fate if you are bitten by a snake while in Kozhikode district. Chances of survival are remote as three persons die on an average in the district per month. Though government hospitals claim to have enough anti-venom stock, there are not enough medical equipment to treat complex cases.
There are only three hospitals equipped to treat snake bite cases in the district. But, both Koyilandy Taluk Hospital and Government General Hospital at Beach, which have adequate stock of ant-venom, do not have any proper medical system and ventilators to treat the patients.
Even the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where 50 to 60 cases are reported every month, lack of proper facilities. According to hospital administration, nearly 15 to 20 snake bite cases require neurological or hematological treatment and these patients are referred for specialised treatment.
“Two ICUs are operating exclusively for snake bites, but they do not have adequate facilities. Patients from various other hospitals are referred to medical college. Some have to undergo dialysis to avert kidney failure. The dialysis centre at medical college still needs to be developed to treat complex cases,” said Medical College General Medicine Head Dr N K Thulaseedharan. In case of the private hospitals, where 6 to 10 cases are attended per month, the treatment is expensive and unaffordable for the patients hailing from lower strata of society.
Free Treatment at govt Hospitals
Kozhikode:According to Dr P K Sasidharan, former head of Department of Medicine, Kozhikode Government Medical College, most of the victims belong to the lower socio-economic class. “These patients don’t opt private hospitals as free treatment is provided at govt hospitals,” he said.