In the last fiscal year, only two of the 119 snakebite patients admitted to the hospital died. This is a remarkable decrease in the number of snakebite deaths as compared to 17 deaths among 167 patients in 2011/12.According to doctors, the number has remarkable been reduced in three years.
Lumbini Zonal Hospital (LZH) attributes this achievement to the new method for treatment of snakebite patients. It had started new treatment technique three years ago on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
As per the new treatment technique, a patient is administered 10 vials of anti-snake venom within half an hour of their arrival at the hospital. An additional 10 vials are given within the next one hour, according to Dr Shyam Raj Upadhyay, who works at the emergency ward of LZH.
If the condition of patient improves, additional two vials of anti snake venom are administered. Two additional vials are administered to the patient every eight hours, he informed.
Earlier, only two vials of anti-snake venom were administered on arrival of the patient in the hospital and additional four vials were given through saline drip.
"Results show that the new method applied in treating snakebite patients has become very effective," said Prashant Gupta, another doctor.
The hospital started the new treatment method by downloading WHO guideline.
"Application of the new method of treatment has brought about good results," Dr Gupta added.
Meanwhile, Dr Baburam Marasini, chief at Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), said that LZH and Dharan based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) have also adopted the new treatment technique.
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