Karnataka announces action plans for victims of dogs and snake bites

Bengaluru: The Health and Family Welfare Department has announced a State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE) and a State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE). 

Karnataka declared rabies a notifiable disease in December 2022 to ensure systematic reporting of cases and treatment. It has also declared snakebite A notifiable disease and mandated reporting of all cases and deaths. 

Under SAPRE, free Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) will be provided at all primary health centres, community health centres, and taluk and district hospitals. Officials are also mandated to maintain adequate stocks at all times. All private hospitals are also mandated to maintain adequate ARV and RIG stocks at all times. 

The action plan has been chalked out under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007, and the Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation During Emergency Situations) Act, 2016, which mandate all hospitals to provide immediate first aid, emergency stabilisation and necessary treatment for dog bite victims without insisting on advance payment, with reimbursement provisions under the Suvarna Arogya Surkasha Trust scheme. 

State and district-level joint steering committees have been constituted for coordinated action and monitoring. 

The state government is implementing the Rabies-Free Cities Initiative in 11 major cities — Ballari, Belagavi, Bengaluru (GBA), Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Vijayapura. 

The Medical Education Department will implement the National Rabies Control Programme in government medical colleges, ensuring functional anti-rabies clinics with vaccines and trained healthcare professionals. 

The veterinary department will conduct mass dog vaccination and population management, risk mapping, logistics, surveillance, data-sharing, diagnostics, and establish quarantine and checkpost facilities. 

Urban local bodies will manage dog-catching teams, pet registration, stray congregation, and victim verification and compensation. 

The Department of School Education will integrate rabies prevention and animal bite management into school health programmes and build teacher capacity on first aid and prevention practices. 

The Forest Department and the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board will identify rabies-endemic forest areas, sample wild carcasses, provide pre-exposure prophylaxis to zoo staff and animal handlers, and enforce the the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. 

Under SAPSE, the Health Department will promote help-seeking and consulting health facilities instead of traditional healers. It will also arrange effective management, including early transportation of the patient to the nearest health facility, identification of early signs and symptoms of envenomation, prompt administration of ASV, managing complications due to snakebite and rehabilitation of disabled victims. 

The veterinary and agriculture departments will advocate with different stakeholders for resource mobilisation, mapping of high-risk snakebit areas, and build capacity for veterinary and agricultural professionals. 

The Forest Department will create awareness in rural-urban communities, minimising human snake contact by behavioural and habitat studies of snakes, registration and training of snake rescuers, and licensing for snake venom extraction. 

The Panchayat Raj Department will establish committees, support mobile healthcare units and ambulances, advocacy and training of PRI members and orientation of fake healers. 

The Home Department will assist hospitals and the judiciary in medico-legal cases of snakebite, and assist the forest department to apprehend criminals involved in smuggling of all protected snake species.