Pune: In a move aimed at reducing deaths and long-term disabilities caused by snakebites, the Maharashtra public health department has declared snakebite a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for govt and private healthcare facilities to report every suspected, probable and confirmed case to health authorities.
Public health and family welfare minister Prakash Abitkar said, “The decision will make the state’s snakebite prevention and treatment system more disciplined, prompt and effective.”
The move comes a week after three tribal schoolgirls lost their lives to snake bite and others had to be hospitalised after a venomous snake bite incident in Gadchiroli district. Critical victims had to be airlifted to Nagpur’s Govt medical college for advanced emergency care.
The notification, issued by the govt on Tuesday, requires hospitals, medical colleges and medical practitioners to report snakebite cases, serious complications and deaths to the district health officer or district civil surgeon concerned. The information will be entered into the health management information system, IDSP, DHIS-2 or any other reporting platform prescribed by the govt.
Earlier in July, Abitkar had announced in the legislative assembly that the health department would soon send a proposal to the law and justice department and seek opinion about including snakebite in the notifiable disease list.
The move is important because snakebite data in India has historically been incomplete, particularly in rural and remote areas where many victims either do not reach hospitals or seek treatment from informal providers. Without reliable information, health authorities are unable to identify high-risk villages, seasonal patterns, treatment gaps or areas where anti-snake venom (ASV) stocks need to be increased.
Snakebite envenoming can rapidly cause paralysis, breathing difficulties, bleeding disorders, kidney failure and death. Timely first aid, immediate transport to a hospital, correct diagnosis and administration of ASV, when clinically indicated, are crucial to improving outcomes.
Under Maharashtra’s new system, the director (hospitals) will function as the state-level snakebite nodal officer, reads the statement issued by the health dept. At the district level, the district civil surgeon and district health officer will oversee reporting, treatment monitoring and preventive action. In municipal corporation areas, the medical health officer or additional medical health officer will perform this role.
Hospitals treating snakebite patients will have to maintain real-time records of ASV procurement, availability, usage and remaining stock. This will enable district authorities to anticipate demand and redistribute supplies to high-incidence areas, reducing the risk of treatment delays caused by shortages. “The timely treatment of snakebite victims is the key to saving lives,” Abitkar said, urging all facilities to report cases and follow treatment guidelines issued by the Union and state govts. Maharashtra is now one of the nine states in India to declare snakebite as notifiable.
