THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the death of a class V student after being bitten by a snake in a Sultan Bathery school last week, the official data accessed by TNIE show that the state witnessed 55 snakebite deaths in the last five years. As many as 24,186 snakebite incidents were also recorded in this period, according to data from the Directorate of Health Services.
Till September this year, the state witnessed seven deaths and 4,086 snakebite incidents. Of these, three each were reported from Kollam and Palakkad and one from Alappuzha. The most number of snakebite cases this year was reported from Kozhikode (1,125), followed by Kannur (695) and Palakkad (639). However, the mortality rate due to snakebite has been showing a declining trend— from 20 deaths in 2015 to 12 in 2016, 13 in 2017 and three in 2018.
In the case of snakebite incidents, however, the year-wise data show a mixed trend — 4,024 in 2015, 5,195 in 2016, 5,857 in 2017 and 5,024 in 2018. Going by the official figures, the northern parts of state have the most number of snakebite cases reported in the last five years. TNIE had recently reported about a study by two doctors which showed snakebite is a major health concern in North Kerala.
‘Snakebites a major health problem in North Kerala’
THE study that explored the clinical and epidemiological profile of poisonous snakebite cases found that it is an important health problem in North Kerala, which has an agricultural background. The other major finding is the presence of hump-nosed pit viper and the ineffectiveness of the anti- venom against its bites. The official data have been compiled based on the information received from government hospitals only. Snakebite cases handled by private hospitals and traditional doctors have not been included in the list, said officials. As per the data, till September this year, the northern parts of the state recorded a total of 3,404 bite cases, whereas 682 cases were reported from the southern parts.
“The poor waste management culture of people will have to be blamed for snakebite incidents. Take the case of Kozhikode. Here, the dumping of food waste is rampant. This attracts rodents and thereby snakes. Also, the congested space results in snakebite incidents. In the case of mortality, it has been observed that the victims tend to seek alternative medicines as the first line of treatment for snakebite. This increases the chance of developing complications and death,” said Dr Jayesh Kumar, General Medicine Department, Government Medical College, Kozhikode.
HEADMISTRESS’ SWIFT ACTION SAVES STUDENT
Kozhikode: When teachers across the board have been criticised for the death of a nine-year-old girl of snakebite in Wayanad, a headmistress here has won applause for acting in time to save the life of her student. Two days ago, when a student of the Government Higher Secondary School, Kuttikatoor, came to the campus with a bite mark on his leg, she alerted her colleagues and took him to the hospital. When doctors confirmed that it was indeed a snakebite, they realised that it was an apt decision to take him to the hospital.
Meet V S Asha, headmistress of Kuttikatoor HSS, whose timely intervention saved Hrithik, a Class V student, who was bitten by a snake on his way to school. It was Hrithik’s friend Gautham who alerted his class teacher Gopakumar about the bite mark. Gopakumar took the boy to Asha. Hrithik was first taken to a private hospital in Kozhikode and later was shifted to the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH). After two days of treatment and observation, Hrithik was discharged on Sunday.
HM acts in time, saves student Kozhikode: When teachers across the board are being criticised after the death of a girl due to snakebite in Wayanad, V S Asha, headmistress of Kuttikatoor HSS here, has won applause for acting in time to save the life of her student. Two days ago, when a student came to the school with a bite mark on the leg, she immediately alerted her colleagues and took him to hospital.