Victims of snakebites are flooding treatment centres across the country as the scorching heat forces the reptiles out of their holes into bushes, farms, roads and peoples homes in search of fresh air.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that states worst hit include Gombe, Plateau, Borno, Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and Bauchi, with herders, farmers and rural dwellers mostly the victims.

Our correspondents, who visited some snake treatment centres, found that most of the patients were on the floor with medics complaining that facilities were being overstretched.

The situation of the victims appeared worsened by the sharp rise in the cost of the usually imported Anti-Snake Venom (ASV), following the high cost of foreign exchange.

With a vial of the Echitab drugs – the brand of ASV that cures bites from snakes in Nigeria – going for more than 55,000, stakeholders have heightened calls on the Federal Government to support the Echitab Study Group in Nigeria to produce the vaccine locally to lower production cost.

At Snakebites Treatment and Research Centre, Kaltungo in Gombe State, Dr Sulaiman Mohammed, its Principal Medical Officer, told NAN that about 300 patients had been admitted from January to date.

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He attributed the sharp rise in the number of cases to the hot weather.


“The heat is at its peak; this period is usually the peak season of snakebites,” he told NAN.

He said that some were treated and discharged while four deaths had been recorded .


Giving a breakdown, he said that 69 patients were admitted in January while 79 came in February.

According to him, more than 135 have been admitted in March with the figures increasing by the day.

“The figures are usually high in March which is the onset of rainy season; on the average, we receive a daily average of nine victims or more.”

Wahala

Seems like the snakes are friendly with the Bandits and the Boko boys that permanently reside in the thick forest abi them wan collect government money chop for anti-venom?

Ebubeslym:
Wahala

E no dey finish

Nwodosis:
Seems like the snakes are friendly with the Bandits and the Boko boys that permanently reside in the thick forest abi them wan collect government money chop for anti-venom?

Even if snake/reptile attack any terrorist in the bush, who will broadcast the news to us?

Kuginzi:

Even if snake/reptile attack any terrorist in the bush, who will broadcast the news to us?

Won't they be admitted?

Bandit snakes

Nwodosis:

Won't they be admitted?

They sure wouldn't wear "bandit/terrorist" tag or ID when they present to the hospital emergencies

GogetterMD:


They sure wouldn't wear "bandit/terrorist" tag or ID when they present to the hospital emergencies

None of them will be in the forest if the snake bite story as painted is true!

Kuginzi:

Even if snake/reptile attack any terrorist in the bush, who will broadcast the news to us?

It could be that the bandits and terrorist are immune to a snake bite

Because I can not see why they lives in the forest all through their lives without encountering snakes in the forest .