ITAHARI, July 7: With the onset of the monsoon, incidents of snakebite are increasing in various regions. Between mid-April and mid-June alone, Itahari's Community Snakebite Treatment Centre treated 284 patients.
A total of 149 women and 135 men received treatment after being bitten by snakes during the two-month period. The centre treated 113 snakebite victims from mid-April to mid-May and 171 from mid-May to mid-June. Located within the Nepali Army's Eastern Division Headquarters, the centre has been providing treatment for snakebite victims since its establishment under the supervision of an MD doctor.
The centre receives patients from eastern Tarai districts such as Sunsari, Morang and Udayapur, as well as from hill districts including Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Dhankuta and Tehrathum. It is operated by a committee headed by Vice-chair Raju Thapa.
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The treatment centre has been operating since 2012, and by 2025 a total of 18,083 snakebite victims had received treatment there.
The highest number of snakebite cases was recorded in 2016, when 1,542 patients visited the centre. Annual treatment figures were 958 in 2012, 1,110 in 2013, 1,181 in 2014, 1,279 in 2015, 1,542 in 2016, 1,407 in 2017, 1,449 in 2018, 1,479 in 2019, 1,430 in 2020, 1,338 in 2021, 1,080 in 2022, 1,288 in 2023, 1,320 in 2024 and 1,230 in 2025.
The centre was established under an agreement whereby the Eastern Division Headquarters of the Nepali Army provides a medical team led by an MD doctor and supplies antivenom, while the centre arranges the necessary infrastructure and equipment. Patients requiring intensive care are referred to other hospitals.
Snakebite victims in eastern Nepal also receive treatment at the Nepali Army barracks in Charali, Jhapa. Government hospitals such as B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Koshi Hospital also provide treatment for snakebites.
Private hospitals treating snakebite cases include B & C Hospital, Birta City Hospital and Manmohan Hospital in Birtamod, hospitals in Damak, and Nobel Hospital, Green Cross Hospital and Birat Nursing Home in Biratnagar. The Nepali Army also provides treatment for snakebite victims in Udayapur and Letang in northern Morang.
Many people have lost their lives due to snakebites. However, the lack of comprehensive data makes it difficult to compare the number of snakebite cases with the number of deaths caused by snakebite.
