MoHFW makes reporting of snake bite cases mandatory in all health care facilities

The decision is also part of the recently launched "National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming from India by 2030" (NAPSE) in consultation with relevant ministries and stakeholders

Hyderabad: To strengthen surveillance and establish a reporting system of snake bite cases, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has made notification of snake bite cases mandatory in all health care facilities.

Secretary, MOHFW, New Delhi Punya Salila Srivastava has written letters to all State Principal Secretaries and Secretaries for Health departments to establish a process of mandatory reporting/notification of all snake bites cases.

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The decision is also part of the recently launched “National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming from India by 2030” (NAPSE) in consultation with relevant ministries and stakeholders. The objective of this action plan is to halve the snakebite related deaths by the year 2030.

One of the key objectives under NAPSE is to strengthen the surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths in India. A robust surveillance system is essential for accurately tracking snakebite incidents and deaths, which will provide valuable data to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, the letter from the Secretary, MOHFW, New Delhi said.

“Therefore, a mandatory notification of all snakebite cases and deaths is required to strengthen snakebite surveillance. It will help the stakeholders gauge accurate burden, high risk areas, factors responsible for deaths of snakebite victims, etc. resulting in improved clinical management of snakebite victims,” the letter said.

Notification of snakebite cases and deaths will also improve reporting from private health facilities. States are requested to make snakebite cases and deaths a ‘Notifiable Disease’ under the relevant provisions under the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation making it mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable Snakebite Cases and deaths.”