Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a rise in snakebite cases in Kerala, the Health Department has drawn up a special action plan to prevent deaths, speed up treatment and strengthen monitoring, Health Minister Veena George said. Hospitals will be mapped using snakebite data to identify hotspots, with high caseload facilities marked as 'red flag' institutions and given additional support. Cases will be tracked through community-based surveillance, while delays in treatment will also be closely monitored.

Hub-and-spoke system
The referral system will be strengthened by classifying hospitals in a hub-and-spoke model. Antivenom will be made available in remote Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), where access to major hospitals is difficult. Primary care centres and referral hospitals will be upgraded, especially in hotspots.

The department will stress the need for immediate treatment at the nearest well-equipped hospital. Special treatment protocols will be introduced for species such as the hump-nosed pit viper and the Malabar pit viper. Doctors will be trained to identify snakes using images, while nurses will receive training in the use of Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA). Primary research on snakebite will also be encouraged, as per the action plan. 

Community role and awareness
Workers and volunteers will be provided with safety gear like gumboots and rubber gloves. Community-based reporting systems will be developed and awareness programmes conducted with the support of local bodies.

Teachers will be trained by SARPA volunteers, and educational videos will be created through school social media clubs. Training programmes will be conducted in collaboration with the government and the private sector. Unified IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) materials will be developed, and steps will be taken to include snakebite prevention in the school curriculum.

Data and availability of antivenom
In 2025, a total of 8,456 vials of antivenom were distributed across 133 hospitals, of which 6,382 vials were administered to patients. There were 18 deaths, indicating that most victims were successfully treated.

The health minister also warned against spreading misinformation, stating that antivenom is administered as per safety standards in select hospitals.

The department aims to ensure timely expert care and has expanded access to antivenom. Since last year, 13 more government hospitals have been equipped. Currently, anti-venom is available in 151 government hospitals and 150 private hospitals. A list of these hospitals has been published.

Patients are being transported through the 108 ambulance service, where trained emergency medical technicians provide first aid and monitor the situation. In the past five days, 75 snakebite cases and 62 suspected ones were transported to hospitals in time using the service. People are advised to call 108 in case of an emergency.