Fatalities from snakebites on the rise

Scarce vaccines leading to upsurge in casualties

QUETTA: The scarcity of anti-snakebite vaccines in a city slinking with snakes has prompted the loss of innocent lives. The Kalat district has become home to snakes as rising temperatures prolong in the area. Four people belonging to Union Council Gazzak (UCG) became prey to snakes causing them to travel in search of snakebite vaccines due to the unavailability in local hospitals.

An eight-year-old boy named Baseer Khan of the Shanleaz residence in Sanjawi town also died after a callous snake bite. His body was moved to the Civil Hospital Sanjawi after which it was handed over to the family. Two other children of the same area became victim to snake bites earlier this week.

UCG former vice chairman, Nadeem Ahmed Lehri expressed concerns towards the unfortunate state of local health centres suggesting that there are no anti-snake bite vaccines in local dispensaries due to which UCG members are facing a life-threatening crisis. “People have to be moved 160 km away to the District Hospital Kalat due to the lack of infrastructure which causes an 8-hour delay, leading the patients to often die on the way,” he added.

He urged the health departments to promote infrastructural development in rural health centres while the public demands the government to provide ample vaccines to help curtail casualties. Although the government and hospital administrators claim to have vaccines readily available in the Quetta Civil Hospital, the families of victims often report otherwise.