Nagpur: The deaths of three tribal girls in Gadchiroli and two others in Nagpur within two weeks have exposed gaps in emergency care for snakebite victims and raised concerns over preparedness at healthcare facilities, particularly in areas where referral to tertiary centres can take time.Dr Priyanka Kadam, president and founder of Snakebite Healing and Education Society and a member of the WHO roster of experts on snakebite envenoming, said neurotoxic snakebite requires immediate clinical assessment and appropriate treatment, as respiratory complications can develop rapidly.“Every snakebite death after hospital admission should be reviewed to understand whether there were delays in recognition, referral or treatment,” said Kadam. She said greater participation by clinicians in snakebite-management training was needed to improve preparedness.Snakebite was included among India’s notifiable diseases in 2024. The deaths also underline the need to strengthen implementation of the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE), particularly through faster emergency response and adherence to clinical protocols, Kadam said.In Gadchiroli, three tribal girls staying at an ashramshala died following snakebite, while another girl is undergoing treatment in Nagpur. The deaths were preceded by similar incidents in Nagpur, where a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy from Bhiwapur died following snakebite. In both cases, the victims’ families sought medical care, but concerns have been raised over the timelines of assessment and treatment after they reached healthcare facilities.In the Nagpur case, the 14-year-old girl was bitten while sleeping. She was taken to a private hospital in Panjra Koradi, where, according to Wildlife Welfare Society (WWS), the possibility of a venomous snakebite was not diagnosed despite signs suggestive of neurotoxic envenoming. She was subsequently referred to another private hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. A common krait was later captured from the room where she had been sleeping.Sumit Kuratkar (17) of Bhiwapur, who died following a snakebite on August 3, also received delayed treatment, said Nitish Bhandakar of WWS.Bhandakar said several more people had recently died of snakebite. They include Mangesh Warkade, 35, of Ramtek, who died on August 10; Tarabai Meshram, 60, of Dhamangaon, Bhiwapur, on July 19; Bebinai Lohgare, 62, of Tarsa, Kanhan, on July 9; and Dakshibai Marwadi, 60, who died on May 15.
