Subramaniam: All govt hospitals have snake poison antidote

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has given its assurance that anti-venom, or antidote for snake poison, is available at all government hospitals in the country.

Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said the anti-venom was usually supplied to all government hospitals and if stocks had depleted at one hospital, the anti-venom could be obtained from the nearest one.

“So far, the supply of anti-venom is adequate and the ministry will increase it if necessary,” he told reporters after opening the Asia Dengue Conference 2016 here on Saturday.

Dr Subramaniam had been asked for his response to a press report on Friday which claimed that supply of anti-venom could only be obtained at a government hospital in Kajang and that the antidote had a very short expiry date.

The report came in the wake of the death of a Standard One pupil in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, who was bitten by a poisonous snake when playing in a garden in front of the her class at SK Dato’ Hashim 1 on April 19.

At the same press conference, Dr Subramaniam said the total number of deaths from dengue fever since January had fallen to 94 compared to 119 deaths in the same period last year.

He attributed the drop to use of new clinical practice guidelines since September.

– BERNAMA

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