Kerala Govt Rolls Out Comprehensive Action Plan To Reduce Rising Snakebite Deaths Across State

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday said that in view of rising snakebite fatalities, the health department has prepared a special action plan to strengthen prevention, monitoring and treatment.

Measures will be intensified to track snakebite cases more effectively, including hotspot mapping of hospitals based on available data, she said in a statement.

Hospitals receiving a higher number of snakebite patients will be identified as "red-flagged institutions" and provided with additional facilities.

A community-based surveillance system will be strengthened to report cases, while delays in treatment will be closely monitored, the minister said.

Under a hub-and-spoke model, hospitals will be reorganised to improve referral systems.

Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) in remote areas will be equipped with anti-snake venom (ASV), especially where access to equipped hospitals is difficult, she said, adding that both primary care centres and referral hospitals will be strengthened, particularly in identified high-risk regions.

Stressing that snakebite is a life-threatening condition, the minister underlined the need for immediate treatment at the nearest equipped hospital.

Special treatment protocols will be implemented for bites from species such as hump-nosed pit viper and Malabar pit viper. Doctors will be trained to identify snakes using images, while nurses will be given Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) training, she said.

The department will also promote research on snakebites and adopt a "One Health" approach with greater community participation.

Safety gear such as gumboots and rubber gloves will be encouraged for workers, alongside awareness campaigns and improved community-level reporting systems.

Educational initiatives will include training for teachers with the help of snake volunteers, preparation of awareness videos through school social media clubs, and public-private partnership programmes, George detailed.

Uniform IEC (Information, Education and Communication) materials will be developed at the state-level, and inclusion of snakebite prevention in school curriculum will be recommended.

According to official data, 8,456 vials of anti-snake venom were distributed to 133 hospitals in 2025, of which 6,382 were administered to patients in state hospitals.

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A total of 18 deaths were reported last year, indicating that the majority of cases were successfully managed.

Currently, ASV is available in 151 government hospitals and 150 private hospitals across the state, with the list of such facilities published by the department. Additionally, 13 more government hospitals were equipped with ASV compared to the previous year.

The "Kanivu 108" ambulance service has been strengthened to ensure timely transport of patients to ASV-equipped hospitals. Trained emergency medical technicians provide first aid and monitoring during transit. Within five days of the initiative, 75 confirmed snakebite patients and 62 suspected cases were taken to hospitals in time, it said.

Treatment will be administered strictly as per protocol based on symptoms and lab tests, the statement said, urging the public not to spread misinformation about ASV safety.

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