The EDCD has asked the WHO's country office to supply 10,000 vials of the vaccine to manage the immediate crisis, officials said.
"We have asked the WHO's country office to provide us 10,000 vials of vaccine as soon as possible," Dr Baburam Marasini, director at the EDCD, said. He informed that the EDCD has only 5,000 vials of vaccine in stock.According to director Marasini, a lot of people will die in the Tarai region if the EDCD does not get the vaccine immediately. "Even if we start the procurement process now, it would be too late to get the vaccine. So we sought the WHO's help," added Marasini. Last year too, the EDCD had sought the WHO's help for procurement of anti-snake venom.
Though snakebite cases are on the rise in Tarai districts, the EDCD does not have any official data about the number of snakebite deaths. Officials at the EDCD said that over 40,000 vials of anti-snake venom is needed for a year but it has only 5,000 vials in stock. Thousands of people are bitten by venomous snakes during monsoon. Over 700 snake-bite cases come to hospitals in capital alone, although the snakes in the capital are less poisonous compared to those in the Tarai region.
The EDCD said despite supplying enough serum vials, more than 200 people die from snake bite every year. Health workers said in some cases up to 70 vials of anti-snake venom are needed to treat the patients.
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