HomeFeaturesGombe Tops Sub-Saharan Snakebite Cases – PMO

Gombe Tops Sub-Saharan Snakebite Cases – PMO

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The Snakebite Hospital and Research Centre in Kaltungo manages over 2,600 snakebite cases each year, a significant caseload revealed by Dr. Nicolas Hamman, the hospital’s Principal Medical Officer. This data highlights the hospital’s vital role in a region heavily impacted by snakebite incidents.

Dr. Nicolas Hamman made this announcement during an event at the hospital, where members of Rotary International Kaltungo District presented 80 vials of anti-snake venom as a donation. This act of goodwill is expected to significantly bolster the facility’s resources in managing snakebite cases.

In his remarks, the PMO, who concurrently acts as the lead epidemiologist at the centre, appealed for greater government support, reminding attendees that “the hospital is a major research hospital.” This statement underscores the facility’s dual role in providing critical care and advancing research on snakebites.

He added, “we are requesting more Federal Government’s support, especially as we are the largest consumers of this anti-snake venom in this country. In fact, we regard ourselves as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa with over 2,600 cases per year.

“So, because we consume more anti-snake venom, as such, it is important that we become a site where these anti-snake venoms are produced.”

While addressing the obstacles in providing care for snakebite patients, Dr. Hamman disclosed that the donation would serve as a crucial resource, indicating that the 80 vials of anti-snake venom would accommodate the treatment needs of about 120 patients. This information points to the impact of such donations in the ongoing fight against snakebites.

“On the average, we can say 40 patients technically but based on the advancement of the work that our research and clinical committee in the hospital has been doing, there’s a possibility that we can actually extend treatment to 100 to 120,” he said.

The PMO added that between six to eight patients were admitted every day, stressing that at the moment, 34 were on admission.

“It happens usually during harvesting periods when they are harvesting ground nuts, beans, and during the planting season when they are clearing their farms and also during the period of August and September. But because the rainy season of this year got extended to some point so we tend to have more cases during the harvesting period.

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“We have 34 patients currently on admission. When someone is brought here, we diagnose the patient to be certain it’s snakebite and the type of snake before we administer anti-snake venom,” he added.

On his part, Mohammed Ndus, the Past Assistant Governor of Rotary International, noted that the charity oriented international organisation assessed the

needs of the hospital and it necessitated the donation, adding, “We realised that there are some problems like the shortage of ASV and our people are suffering because there are no drugs to administer to snakebite victims.

“In fact, there were no specific drugs in the country for such purposes. That is why this drug is coming in; to meet up with the need assessment, which necessitated this donation.”

Reacting to the cost implication involved in the procurement of the 80 vials, Ndus added, “You heard the medical personnel that received the drug say it is over N12 million. This drug in the market now if you are buying it from a proper channel, it is about N170,000 but if you are buying through the wrong channel it could be upto N200,000 and the reason behind this is because the drug is not on ground.”

He disclosed further that efforts were on to partner Bayero University Kano in the local production to improve accessibility in the country, “Bayero University Kano is working on having the drugs to be supplied that is why were are also partnering with a university invitation London on how to get this drugs so we believe that if our plans and strategies come true, it is possible that the drugs will become available in the near future and the prices will drop but for now, there’s absolute scarcity of it and that is why we emphasised on the accountability of the ones that we just brought,” he added.

The Rotary leader maintained, “We have been engaging in this exercise just as we did with polio. There are people that when they take this vial of polio, they empty the content and then do not administer it.

“The strategies, I can tell you openly is the one that has to do with the accountability of the containers. We will make sure we come to this place to check the containers that are empty, and we’ve already given them a counter book that will take the register of those that will be administered with the drug. This drug, even though it is 80, it is possible for two patients to have one of it and still get treated because of the effectiveness of the anti-snake venom. So, for accountability, we have the medical personnel who have assured us that they will check and make sure that it has not been taken to anywhere.”

The Eastern Updates 

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