The Demow CHC and Model Hospital at Raichai Konwar Dehingia has treated its 4,000th snakebite victim, hospital officials said, marking a major milestone in rural snakebite management. The milestone was reached on August 7, 2026, and reflects sustained work by a dedicated team that has been treating snakebite patients since 2018. Dr Surajit Giri, an anaesthesia and snakebite specialist at the hospital and a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee, Ministry of Health, Government of India, told this correspondent about the achievement.
Out of the 4,000 cases handled so far, there have been no referrals to other government facilities; only four patients required transfer to nearby collaborating private hospitals. Those four patients, each suffering from krait envenoming, were moved because the rural government facility does not have mechanical ventilators or artificial respiratory support. Except for a single death in 2020, all other snakebite victims treated at the hospital have survived and recovered.
Approximately 13 percent of the cases involved venomous bites. The hospital’s success is notable given the limited effectiveness of the currently available polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) against some medically important species found in Assam and the Northeast. Despite this constraint, the clinical team has relied on early recognition, close monitoring, timely supportive care and judicious use of available resources to manage patients effectively.
The initiative primarily targets rural and economically vulnerable communities: about 96 percent of victims treated were from extremely financially distressed backgrounds. Community trust has been a key factor in the programme’s effectiveness, with many patients and families seeking care early-often within one hour of the bite-and remaining under observation for at least 24 hours so complications could be detected and treated promptly.
“The fight against venom is ultimately a fight for life, and particularly for those who have the least financial and social resources to fight it themselves,” Dr Giri said, underlining the project’s social and public-health significance for Assam’s rural population.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/4000-snakebite-cases-one-death-demow-hospital-marks-rural-healthcare-milestone-1615699
Category: Assam
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Publish Date: 2026-08-17 10:26:00
