Health officials in Kilifi County have launched campaigns to educate residents on how to assist snake bite victims to prevent deaths.
Speaking at the Kilifi County Referral Hospital (KCRH), the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr. Matano Kibwana advised residents to always rush victims to the nearest medical facilities before the snake venom gets severe.
This comes a few days after a 14-year-old boy from Palakumi village in Ganze Sub County was bitten by a snake but those around him delayed taking him to hospital.
Harrison Kahindi was herding cattle together with his elder brother when he felt some chilling and hot burning sensation on his leg but he could not see what caused it.
“I was herding cattle with my brother when I felt some painful bite on my foot but when I tried to find out, I could see nothing, it is my brother who rushed me home and later to Palakumi dispensary where they treated me and put me in an ambulance to Kilifi,” said Kahindi.
According to him, he received some first aid at the facility before the medical personnel in charge referred him to the Kilifi County Referral hospital, more than 42 kilometers away where he is recuperating.
Dr Kibwana said that the boy developed a swollen leg due to the delay to take him to the nearby health facility and that since he couldn’t identify the kind of snake, he had to undergo tests so as to ascertain the correct antivenom to be administered.
“This is a patient who came to us and he was bitten by a snake at the grazing grounds in Ganze and he was taken to the peripheral facility which is Palakumi dispensary who referred the case to us.
“The incident happened at around midday and he was taken to the peripheral facility where they were not able to manage him and almost immediately, he was rushed here by an ambulance and he arrived at 7: 40 pm and was booked,” said Dr. Kibwana.
He added that the boy was in good condition and was responding well to treatment.
“The boy did not see the snake and so we couldn’t distinguish the type of snake that bit him, the swelling was already above the knee implying that the effects of the venom had already taken place but we have managed him and he is doing well,” he said.
He advised residents to always take precautions such as wearing shoes and in case of emergencies, they should rush victims to health facilities near to them.
“The advice is that victims of snake bites need to get care as soon as possible and the earlier you are attended to, the better because once the actual effect of the venom takes place it might be too late to give the antivenom and in some cases if you delay the antivenom will have no effect,” he advised.
The Kilifi County Chief Officer for Health David Mulewa said that they usually import antivenom from India which costs Ksh12,000 per 10cc vial, which is equivalent to one dose.
Venom varies from snake to snake even within the same species depending on the region it is from and producing antivenom is challenging.
In Kenya, there is no facility that manufactures antivenom hence it is imported from South Africa and India as the wrong antivenom can kill a victim.
