Shortage of anti-venom vaccines: Woe onto victims of snake bite

Victims of snake bite risk losing their lives as reports indicate that hospitals in the country have run out of anti-venom vaccines. Public Agenda's attention was drawn to the situation last week, when relatives of a victim of snake-bite called at the paper's offices to share their frustration about how the unavailability of the vaccine nearly put the life of their relative in jeopardy.

Anti-venom vaccine is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings.

Narrating their ordeal to the Public Agenda, relatives of the victim, one Solomon Awelinga of Amasaman said he was bitten by a snake as he went to dispose of garbage behind his house. He was then rushed to the Nsawam Government Hospital, where he was then given only a tetanus shot, but was not advised to seek further treatment. Within days, he started developing serious complications.

The pursuit of anti-venom treatment took this young man to about six hospitals in the Greater Accra Region, but none had the vaccine in stock. The first point of contact was the Achimota Hospital where it was actually detected that the victim was given only tetanus shot at the Nsawam Hospital. The Achimota Hospital however could not help because they did not have any anti-venom treatment. They continued to the 37 Military Hospital, the Labadi Polyclinic, Police Hospital, Mamobi Polyclinic, Lapaz Community Hospital in that order unsuccessfully.

It took the intervention of a pharmacist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to save this young man. Speaking with the Public Agenda later, the pharmacist admitted that there has been a shortage of the vaccine for about a month, which explains why all the facilities that the victim was sent to didn't have it in stock. He was quick to add that, the victim was lucky that Korle-Bu had it. According to him, this is an unusual situation and that these shortages mostly occur due to procurement and shipment difficulties. He was however surprised at the development because he believed the Ministry of Health had resolved that problem and the various facilities had been supplied with the drug.

The Ministry of Health has vehemently denied the shortage and indicated that they have enough of the drugs even in their stores. According to the Public Relations Officer at the Ministry, it is just unfortunate that the victim went to these hospitals and did not get treatment. He suggested that the victim and his family may not be telling the truth because the drugs are not in short supply. He referred to earlier instances of shortages and indicated that after those instances, the Ministry has procured enough of the anti-venom drugs.

The victim and his family however still stand by their story and are ready to prove to the Ministry and the general public what they went through, when a follow-up call was put to them.