KOTTAYAM: It was just a month after K V Sadique Muhammed took a house on rent near Calicut University at Thenhipalam in Malappuram, he spotted two cobras on the backside of the house. Being new to the place, Sadique was unable to seek help from local residents. He soon checked ‘Snakepedia’ mobile app and contacted a snake catcher, who arrived within 30 minutes and caught the poisonous snakes.
Nearly three weeks after its launch, Snakepedia app, the first community initiative to create awareness about snakes and snakebite, has turned out to be a major source of help for the general public. Having comprehensive data about snakes, first aid for snakebite, hospitals providing medical treatment for snakebite and details regarding rescuers, the app has become a huge hit in Google Play Store. According to those behind the initiative, the number of downloads crossed 30,000 a couple of days ago. More importantly, it is a free-download app and hence helpful for the common people.
“We are getting enormous response from across the state. There is an option in the app through which people can send photos of snakes if they are unable to identify whether a snake is poisonous or not. As of now, we have received more than 200 photos with queries. At the same time, we request the people not to put their life in risk by trying to take the photos of the snakes,” said Dr Jinesh P S, a team member.
Apart from providing details of dangerous and harmless snakes in Kerala, the app also attempts to wipe out myths about snakes and snakebite. “There are many notions in the society about snakes and snakebite. One of the objectives of this app is to end such misconceptions. Moreover, people usually try to take the snakes to hospitals along with the patient for the doctor to identify the snake. In fact, the doctor doesn’t need to see the snake to start treatment,” Dr Jinesh said. These people can also seek expert opinion on the subject through the app. The first aid to be taken for snakebite, details of as many as 170 hospitals that provide treatment for snakebite and habitats of different species of snakes are also included in the app.
“The app is the resultant effort of more than 50 persons, including doctors, scientific experts and social workers. Apart from scientific experts, those who participated in the making of the app included schoolchildren Elizabeth Maria Joseph, Sniya Binesh and Nina Anoop, to the head of the paediatrics department at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thrissur, Dr K K Purushothaman,” said Dr Jinesh.