Gombe Snakebite Hospital Records Highest Cases In Sub-Saharan Africa – PMO

The Principal Medical Officer of Snakebite Hospital and Research Centre Kaltungo, Dr Nicolas Hamman, has disclosed that the facility treats no fewer than 2,600 snakebite cases annually. Hamman made this disclosure at the facility when members of Rotary International Kaltungo District made a presentation of free anti-snake venom, totalling 80 vials. The PMO, who doubles as the lead epidemiologist at the centre, called for more support from the government, while reminding that “the hospital is a major research hospital.” He added, “We are requesting more Federal Government support, especially as we are the largest consumers of this anti-snake venom in this country.

In fact, we regard ourselves as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 2,600 cases per year. “So, because we consume more anti-snake venom, as such, it is important that we become a site where these anti-snake venoms are produced.” While explaining the challenges involved in treating snakebite patients, Hamman disclosed that the donation would bring the needed succour to patients, saying that the 80 vials would cater to about 120 patients. “On the average, we can say 40 patients technically but based on the advancement of the work that our research and clinical committee in the hospital has been doing, there’s a possibility that we can actually extend treatment to 100 to 120,” he said.

He added, “we are requesting more Federal Government’s support, especially as we are the largest consumers of this anti-snake venom in this country. In fact, we regard ourselves as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa with over 2,600 cases per year. “So, because we consume more anti-snake venom, as such, it is important that we become a site where these anti-snake venoms are produced.” While explaining the challenges involved in treating snakebite patients, Hamman disclosed that the donation would bring the needed succour to patients, saying that the 80 vials would cater to about 120 patients.

“On the average, we can say 40 patients technically, but based on the advancement of the work that our research and clinical committee in the hospital has been doing, there’s a possibility that we can actually extend treatment to 100 to 120,” he said. The PMO added that between six and eight patients were admitted daily, stressing that 34 were on admission at the moment. “It happens usually during harvesting periods when they are harvesting ground nuts, beans, and during the planting season when they are clearing their farms and also during the period of August and September. But because the rainy season of this year got extended to some point, so, we tend to have more cases during the harvesting period. “

We have 34 patients currently on admission. When someone is brought here, we diagnose the patient to be certain it’s snakebite and the type of snake before we administer anti-snake venom,” he added. On his part, Mohammed Ndus, the Past Assistant Governor of Rotary International, noted that the charity-oriented international organisation assessed the needs of the hospital and it necessitated the donation, adding, “We realised that there are some problems like the shortage of ASV and our people are suffering because there are no drugs to administer to snakebite victims. “In fact, there were no specific drugs in the country for such purposes. That is why this drug is coming in; to meet up with the need assessment, which necessitated this donation.”Reacting to the cost implication involved in the procurement of the 80 vials, Ndus added, “You heard the medical personnel that received the drug say it is over N12 million.

This drug in the market now if you are buying it from a proper channel, it is about N170,000 but if you are buying through the wrong channel it could be upto N200,000 and the reason behind this is because the drug is not on ground.” He disclosed further that efforts were on to partner with Bayero University Kano in the local production to improve accessibility in the country, “Bayero University Kano is working on having the drugs to be supplied that is why we are also partnering with a university invitation London on how to get this drugs so we believe that if our plans and strategies come true, it is possible that the drugs will become available in the near future and the prices will drop but for now, there’s absolute scarcity of it and that is why we emphasised on the accountability of the ones that we just brought,” he added.

The Rotary leader maintained, “We have been engaging in this exercise just as we did with polio. There are people that when they take this vial of polio, they empty the content and then do not administer it. “The strategies, I can tell you openly is the one that has to do with the accountability of the containers. We will make sure we come to this place to check the containers that are empty, and we’ve already given them a counter book that will take the register of those that will be administered with the drug. This drug, even though it is 80, it is possible for two patients to have one of it and still get treated because of the effectiveness of the anti-snake venom. So, for accountability, we have the medical personnel who have assured us that they will check and make sure that it has not been taken to anywhere.”