Snake bite deaths in Karaga District on the rise, Deputy Minister intervenes

The Karaga District of the Northern Region continues to record increasing cases of deaths relating to snake bites by virtue of the fact that residents are mostly farmers according to health professionals in the area.

In view of this, the Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Dr Adam Mohammed Amin Anta has responded timely to the needs of residents by providing 100 pieces of Anti-Snake venom to the Karaga Hospital.

At the commissioning of a Maternity Block for the hospital under the auspices of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), he observed that the gesture became imperative following the unavailability of the drug at the facility resulting in needless deaths.

“We cannot continue to lose our family members to these snake bites taking into consideration the fact most of them are farmers and cannot stop going to farms. Though measures have been put in place to reduce the number of snake bites, I think it is important we make these drugs available to ensure that no more lives are lost”, he revealed

He indicated that over the last 2 years he has paid for Anti-Snake venom for people and in most cases but they have to get it from the black market at a very expensive cost.

It was as a result he decided to personally procure the medicine himself and support the hospital to attend to patients with those cases for free.

He also assured them that as part of the NDA program of putting up 2 anti-snake bite Centres at Konkomba and overseas areas which he will provide the necessary equipments that will be needed at those facilities.

To this end, he entreated the management of the hospital to ensure the drugs are put into good to save lives of residents who are at the mercy of snake bites.