The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice regarding a PIL that highlights the urgent issue of snakebite deaths, claiming about 58,000 fatalities annually in the country. The petitioner emphasizes the need for improved healthcare access, public awareness campaigns, and dedicated treatment units, especially in rural areas where anti-venom is scarce.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Central government, States, and Union Territories regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting the alarming number of snakebite deaths in India. The PIL, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, sheds light on the dire need for improved healthcare infrastructure and public awareness to address this critical public health issue.
A Bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan sought responses to the petition, which emphasized that “India has the highest rate of snakebite deaths globally, with approximately 58,000 fatalities each year.” The petitioner pointed out that this crisis disproportionately affects rural areas, where access to essential anti-venom medicine is severely limited.
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The plea detailed the global burden of snakebite envenomation (SBE), which affects 1.8 to 2.7 million people annually, leading to approximately 138,000 deaths worldwide. Of this, India alone accounts for an estimated 58,000 deaths, underscoring the need for urgent intervention.
The petitioner argued,
“Despite this much of high mortality rate, there is scarcity of anti-venom (polyvenom). Poly-venom does not reach rural hospitals and healthcare centers where snakebites are most prevalent.”
He further highlighted the reliance on traditional remedies or local healers due to delays in treatment caused by the lack of adequate anti-venom stocks in rural healthcare facilities.
The petitioner shared the plight of his own mother, who suffered a snakebite in 2019 and continues to experience the consequences of inadequate treatment. This personal tragedy served as a motivation to seek judicial intervention for systemic changes to address the issue.
The PIL proposed a multi-faceted approach to combat the crisis, including:
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- Improving Access to Medical Treatment: Ensuring the availability of poly-venom (anti-venom) at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), district hospitals, and medical colleges nationwide.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Launching a health mission focused on snakebite prevention and mortality reduction, with an emphasis on rural areas.
- Specialized Treatment Units: Establishing dedicated snakebite care units at district hospitals and medical colleges staffed by specially trained medical professionals.
Filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, the PIL seeks to make healthcare more accessible and reduce preventable deaths caused by snakebites. The court has now called for a detailed response from the government, marking the first step toward addressing this public health emergency.
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