A sharp rise in snakebite cases during the monsoon has pushed a large number of patients from neighbouring districts to Lucknow, highlighting concerns over the availability and accessibility of timely snakebite treatment outside the state capital.
The trend at RMLIMS is particularly significant. At Civil Hospital, however, the majority of patients were local. “ASV is vital for snakebite patients, but several other factors are involved in successful treatment. The substantial movement of patients from Barabanki and other neighbouring districts to Lucknow has raised questions about whether district-level hospitals have adequate stocks of ASV and the infrastructure and trained manpower needed to manage serious snakebite cases.
Data from three major government hospitals in Lucknow shows that at least 261 snakebite cases were reported in July. RMLIMS recorded 89 cases, KGMU reported 111 patients in its Trauma Centre casualty area, while Syama Prasad Mukherjee (Civil) Hospital recorded 61 cases. The institute treated 89 snakebite patients in July, compared to 52 in June, an increase of nearly 71%. Of the July patients, 50 came from Barabanki, accounting for more than half of all cases. Lucknow accounted for only 17 patients. A similar pattern was reported at the KGMU Trauma Centre, where 111 snakebite patients reached the casualty area between July 1 and 31. Of the 61 cases recorded in July, 42 were from Lucknow and 19 from neighbouring districts.
Hospital officials said a significant proportion of these patients came from outside Lucknow. Civil Hospital director Dr GP Gupta said anti-snake venom (ASV) was a critical component of treatment but stressed that recovery depended on several other factors. If administering ASV alone could treat snakebite, there would be no need for doctors; any healthcare worker could treat such patients with the injection,” Gupta said.
