RAUTAHAT, AUGUST 19

Health authorities in Rautahat have reported a steady flow of snakebite cases, with five to ten patients arriving daily at the Provincial Hospital Gaur, most of them bitten by non-venomous snakes.

'Every alternate day, one or two venomous cases are reported. We provide sufficient doses of anti-snake venom, and most patients recover and return home,' said Harendra Prasad Gupta, in-charge of the hospital's emergency department.

On Sunday, 22-year-old Ishan Alam of Nandwara, Sitamarhi (Bihar, India), was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after a venomous snakebite. Despite immediate treatment with antivenom and IV fluids, his condition remained serious after two hours, Gupta said.

The hospital has maintained an adequate stock of anti-snake venom and urged locals not to depend on shamans or faith healers. 'If patients reach the hospital on time, they can be saved,' Gupta emphasized.

According to hospital records, snakebite cases peaked at 10 to 15 per day until mid-July, but numbers have since dropped by about 50 percent.