The Rotary International has donated Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) vials worth over N13 million to the Snake Bite Hospital and Research Centre in Kaltungo local government area of Gombe state.
The donation was made through the Rotary Club of Kaltungo, as part of its organisation’s humanitarian services to the community, amidts nationwide scarcity of the life-saving drug.
Presenting the drugs to the hospital, Assistant Governor of Rotary International District 127, Mohammed Dantata Ndus, explained that after conducting a needs assessment, the organisation identified a critical shortage of the ASV with patients suffering due to its scarcity.
He stated that measures have been put in place to ensure the judicious use of the vials to prevent misuse or diversion to ensure accountability.
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In his remark, the Chairman of Kaltungo LGA, Mr Iliya Suleiman, expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that the hospital’s urgently need the drugs to treat patients.
He called on other organisations to follow Rotary’s example in supporting the less privileged people and also offer further assistance to the hospital to address its numerous challenges.
The Principal Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr Nicholas Hamani, said that the ASV donation brings relief to patients, especially given the current economic challenges affecting low-income individuals.
Dr Hamani stated that most patients are peasant farmers who are often bitten by snakes while working on their farms to cultivate food and feed their respective families.
He, therefore, said the drugs will reduce the burden on patients and their relatives, adding that a single vial of the ASV cost between N170,000 and N200,000.
He explained the hospital admits an average of six to eight patients daily, saying a high number of patients are admitted during peak period of snake bites, during planting, harvest or ploughing in preparation for the farming season.
The medical officer added that as a major research hospital handling over 2,600 cases annually, the centre requires more government support for the research and production of the ASV.
Our correspondent reports that the donated 80 vials of the ASVs are effective in treating bites from all snake species found in the area.
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