Anti-venom in a box

India is the land of a million snake bites, and far too often death results from inability to receive treatment fast enough. That may be changing.

In order to reduce the number of deaths caused by snakebites due to late administration or unavailability of anti-snake venom, a state-owned drugs company, Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited, has devised a 'medicines for snake bite' box, equipped with bottles of anti-snake venom and other simple, use-friendly paraphernalia that can save a bite victim. [....] "Every year, we see at least 500 cases of snakebites in the state of which 60 per cent result in death due to late administration of antivenom. There have been instances wherein a snakebite victim has been rushed to a primary health centre, but they do not have anti-snake venom stored. Delay in treatment and loss of crucial time can results in death," said, Bharat Joshi, director, Sarpadarshan of India, a non-profit organisation.

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