Although the Ministry of Finance (MoF) set aside Rs 10 million for the Foundation, the MoHP, which is to release the fund, said it will receive the money only after it furnishes a detailed action plan."The Foundation has not been able to present a detailed action plan. If it does not come up with the plan, the budget will be frozen," Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, spokesperson at the MoHP, said. Shrestha, who is also the Chief of Policy Planning and International Cooperation Division at the MoHP, said that the Foundation was allocated the fund after it expressed interest to produce anti-snake venom within the country.
Although Nepal had been importing snake anti-venom worth billions of rupees from India in the past, the MoHP has had to request the WHO for the serum since the last few years after Indian manufacturers refused to supply it citing shortage in India.
Nepal has to purchase anti-venom from India as the venomous snakes in the two countries are similar and venoms produced in other countries do not work in Nepal.
The Foundation, however, claimed that the MoF had allocated the fund after it was convinced by its action plan. "We have forwarded the same action plan to the MoF, which we had sent to the World Bank and the UK's Department of International Development (DFID)," Achyut Khanal, of the foundation, said. He informed that the foundation is serious about manufacturing anti-venom in the country.
According to Khanal, DFID, the World Bank and other aid agencies have assured the foundation of financial assistance.
"They have asked us to start the development plan review. Even the WHO is positive toward the idea of producing anti-venom within the country," he added.
The foundation has requested the Department of Forest to provide a land in Gauribas, which straddles Sarlahi and Mahottari districts.
Khanal claimed that four anti-snake venom experts from Srilanka have visited Nepal for a feasibility study and some experts from Australia will visit Nepal in near future.
He said that it would take five years to produce anti-venom once the work gets started.
Over 200 people die of snake bite in Nepal every year even when there is sufficient quantity of anti-venom.
Snakebite victims generally cannot afford to buy anti-venom as a single dose costs Rs 1,800 and dozens of vials are need for a single victim.
The medication can not be readily purchased from local dispensaries.
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