Journalism of Courage
A farmer who had suffered a snake-bite last week was brought to PCMC-run YCM Hospital from Khed taluka but was turned away as it did not have stock of anti-snake venom. The farmer was taken to Sassoon General Hospital where some stock was available as the hospital had stocked up vials by making local purchases.
Whether its civic-run hospitals,government hospitals or medical shops,they all have been facing shortage of life saving anti-snake venom (ASV) for months now.
YCM Hospital superintendent Dr Anand Jagdale said the hospital has had no stock of ASV for the past one month. We have now decided to make local emergency purchase of 200 vials, he said. Most of the snake-bite cases are from rural areas of Mulshi,Maval and Khed talukas.
Dr Jagdale said they procure ASV stock from three companies. The companies have conveyed to us that they themselves are struggling with crucial inputs required to manufacture anti-snake venom, he added.
Sassoon superintendent V G Kulkarni said,As of now,we have 650 vials. But a couple of months back,we too faced shortage of ASVs.
Kulkarni said they dont get snake-bite cases everyday. Sometimes we have no cases at all. On some days,a few cases are reported. Generally,snake-bite cases are reported in summers.
Mahendra Pitalia,chief coordinator of Pune chemist associations,said the shortage of ASV is being felt not only in Pune but across Maharashtra for nearly four months now. Since the manufacturing companies have not been able to supply ASVs,hospitals and stockists have run out of the medicine, he said.
Pitalia said while private hospitals do not have the stock,government hospitals like Sassoon must have procured ASVs under special quotas. The government has instructed the manufacturing companies to ensure that they provide ASVs on priority to government hospitals. Since the companies themselves are struggling to manufacture ASVs,whatever they are managing is going to a few government hospitals in the state under emergency quota.
P Shah,a stockists of a Mumbai-based company,said,Every month,I get 100 vials from the company. But for past four months,we have got nothing.
Pitalia said the medical shop owners refuse to stock ASVs since there is not much demand for them in the city areas. Kalpesh Pagaria,a medical shop owner from Pimpri-Chinchwad,said,I do not stock ASVs since there is practically no demand for them. But in rural areas,medical shop owners do stock up ASVs.
Meanwhile,the cost of the ASV has also gone up. One vial that used to cost Rs 500 is now being sold at Rs 790, said Dr Jagdale.
