BHUBANESWAR: AIIMS Bhubaneswar will launch a mobile application and dedicated website on snakes on Monday. The app called ‘Snake Helpline’ will help identify snakes found locally, their classification - venomous and non-venomous, first aid advisory for people, preliminary management, rescue aspects, procedure to get compensation and research citations.
The app and the website developed in collaboration with Bhubaneswar-based Snake Helpline are in bilingual form - both Odia and English. Though there are different websites available on snakes, none of them address the queries of people and the basic needs of snakebite victims.
Additional Professor at the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology department Dr Sudipta Ranjan Singh said snakes vary from region to region. The initiative by the AIIMS will help people in the State where snakebite deaths are on rise due to lack of awareness. “In most of the cases, people visit hospitals only after the golden hour has lapsed. First they would visit a local sorcerer or religious place of worship and then they would go to a local sub-centre or PHC before coming to a tertiary hospital. By the time they reach the hospital, it is already late. This is why snake bite deaths in the State are high,” he said.
The AIIMS is conducting a study on hurdles for which snakebite victims report ate to hospitals. The study is expected to be completed soon. Another study is in the pipeline to find out reasons behind the infestation of snakes in Bhubaneswar. “AIIMS-Bhubaneswar is the first in Eastern zone to have developed both a mobile app and website that will address people’s queries on snakes, snakebite, ways to rescue snakes, get rescued from snakes and whom to contact during such emergencies,” said general secretary of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallick.
Snakebites claim more lives every year than calamities like floods, cyclones, drowning and fire mishaps in the State. Declared a State-specific disaster in 2015 under which families of the victims are entitled to a compensation of Rs 4 lakh, snakebite deaths account for 40 per cent of total disaster deaths.