NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions to make available anti-venom and snakebite treatment at health centres, hospitals and medical colleges to save lives of victims.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan agreed to hear the petition and issued notices to the Centre, states and union territories seeking their responses.
“Issue notice, returnable in four weeks,” the bench said.
The plea filed by Shailendra Mani Tripathi, an advocate, said the country faced a significant public health crisis due to the scarcity of anti-venom which was crucial for treating snakebites.
“India has the highest rate of snakebite deaths globally, with approximately 58,000 fatalities each year. Despite this much of high mortality rate there is scarcity of anti-venom (polyvenom),” the plea, filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, said.
It said many rural areas in the country lacked adequate stocks of anti-venom, leading to delays in treatment for snakebite victims.
The plea has sought directions to conduct snakebite prevention health mission and snakebite public awareness campaigns to reduce mortality, especially in rural India.
It also sought directions to establish snakebite treatment and care units along with special trained doctors as per standard medical norms in government district hospitals and government medical colleges. (PTI)