Snakebite patients in Gombe State have decried the soaring cost of life-saving treatment and called for urgent government intervention.
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Some of the patients who spoke to newsmen in Kaltungo Local Government on Thursday, appealed to both the state and Federal Government to act swiftly.
Malam Ali Idris, a resident of Bojude Village said he was bitten by a snake and spent eight days in hospital.
“Upon arrival, l was informed that the hospital had no anti-snake venom in stock. To survive, I had to purchase two vials of the drug from external sources at a total cost of N500,000,” he said.
Although Idris is now recovering, he described the experience as both traumatic and financially draining.
“It wasn’t easy to raise that kind of money. Most snakebite patients are poor people from rural communities.
“There are still patients in the hospital who cannot afford the treatment, we are begging the government to help us,” he said.
Also speaking, Malam Abubakar Muhammed, a patient from Abuja-Bula in Gombe, who spent two days in the hospital, said he managed to buy one vial of anti-snake venom for N250,000, but not without great difficulty.
“The economic situation is really hard, some patients come with no money at all and have no means to pay for treatment. Others are borrowing from friends or relatives just to survive,” he said.
Abubakar called on the government to subsidise the cost of treatment for snakebite victims.
“Even if the government cannot provide the drugs for free as they used to, they should at least cover half the cost, that will go a long way in saving lives,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Nicholas Hamman, Principal Medical Officer at the Snakebite Hospital and Research Centre in Kaltungo said that both the state and Federal Governments were currently working to procure 5,000 vials of anti-snake venom to address the growing crisis.
Hamman explained that the procurement process was underway and expressed hope that the vials would arrive before the usual peak period for snakebites around the harvest season in October.
He raised concern over the rising number of cases, disclosing that 726 snakebite patients were treated in the hospital between Jan. and June, with 24 deaths recorded.
“We are currently in the peak period for snakebites, and we expect the numbers to rise further during the harvest season.
“Although the number of reported cases appears to be lower than last year, this is not because there are fewer bites, the real issue is the shortage of anti-venom, which is discouraging patients from seeking treatment,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hospital, which is a national reference centre for snakebite treatment and research, is currently facing a severe shortage of anti-venom.
According to a hospital official who craved anonymity, many victims are avoiding the hospital due to the lack of free medication.
“They are putting their lives at serious risk, and we are appealing to them to come instead of using the traditional method,” he said.
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