An official told APP that the hospital only had 10 vials of anti-snake venom serum. PHOTO: FILE
MULTAN:
The Nishtar Medical Institute (NMI) is facing an acute shortage of anti-snake venom serum, official sources told the APP on Tuesday.
As many as 73 snake bite patients were brought to the NMI in September, they said.
NMI Chief Pharmacist Malik Fareed said that the hospital had received 50 vials of the anti-snake venom serum from the executive district health office two days ago. “We have 20 vials for Ward 12 and 30 vials at the main drug store,” he said, “Only two snake bite patients have been reported in the last few days here.”
However, an official told APP that the hospital only had 10 vials of anti-snake venom serum. A patient is administered five vials of the vaccine in a single dose. A dose has to be administered every four hours otherwise the patient may not survive. “As many as 90 snake bite patients were admitted to the NMI in August,” the official said.
Whole Sale Chemist’s Council President Akhtar Butt said, “There is a shortage of several life saving drugs in the market, including those used to treat heart and cancer.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2013.
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