Incidents of snakebite on the rise

MAHOTTARI, July 31: The number of incidents of snakebite has increased unprecedentedly, due to rise in the temperature and heat. As a result, the Mahottari district hospital in Jaleswar has reported a rise in the number of people coming for treatment of snakebite. The hospital that used to receive one or two cases occasionally is now receiving eight to ten cases every day, said medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Satish Shah. People are being bitten by the snakes in the field, road and inside their homes. Heavy rainfall is also another cause for the rise in number of snakebites as snakes are forced out of their holes due to water logging, and wander in human settlements looking for dry places. However, majority of the cases of snakebites coming to the hospital are those bitten by less poisonous snake. All the 10 municipalities and five rural municipalities have reported an increase in number of snakes being sighted in the human settlements. Fortunately, there has been no death among those coming for treatment of snakebite at the district hospital, Dr Shah said. The hospital has enough stock of anti-snake venom vials to treat the people suffering from snakebite.