Hospitals in Dakshina Kannada that send snakebite patients elsewhere without admitting them or providing initial treatment will face action, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said at a review meeting in Mangaluru on Monday.
The district administration’s direction follows reports of patients being referred without primary care and subsequently dying after treatment was delayed. Darshan instructed the District Health and Family Welfare Officer to issue notices to hospitals found to have handled such cases in this manner.
The direction was issued after a programme on snakebite and prevention held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The administration’s focus was on ensuring that patients receive immediate attention at the facility where they first arrive, rather than being transferred without stabilisation or essential treatment.
According to the district administration, all primary health centres in Dakshina Kannada have the medicines and facilities required for the initial treatment of snakebite cases. Officials said people bitten by snakes should therefore be taken to the nearest primary health centre without delay.
The administration also directed officials to strengthen public awareness on the first response to snakebite. Information is to be shared through village meetings so that residents know where to seek immediate care and do not lose time before reaching a health facility.
District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr H.R. Thimmaiah said the Karnataka government has declared snakebite a notifiable disease. This makes it mandatory to report snakebite cases to the health department, allowing officials to track incidents and monitor the public-health response, he said.
The reporting requirement also places hospitals and health facilities within a wider surveillance system. Alongside treatment and referral protocols, case reporting can help the health department identify locations where snakebite incidents are occurring and assess whether patients are receiving timely care. The material supplied for the announcement did not provide district-level case numbers or details of the notices to be issued.
The meeting was attended by District Surveillance Officer Dr Naveen Chandra Kulal and Wenlock Hospital Superintendent Dr Shivaprakash. The administration’s immediate next steps are to issue notices to hospitals that fail to provide initial care, ensure awareness through village meetings and reinforce the availability of snakebite treatment at primary health centres across the district.
