'Snakebites across country, do something': Supreme Court asks Centre to take states on board

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to take all states on board to "do something" in making available snakebite treatment in all medical facilities, having noted that the issue was prevalent throughout the country.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Justice S V N Bhatti said the country faced a significant public health crisis due to the scarcity of anti-venom, crucial in treating snakebites.

"You can take the states on board. The problem is prevalent throughout the country," the bench told the Centre's counsel.

The court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer, Shailendra Mani Tripathi, seeking a direction to make available poly-venom (anti-venom) and snakebites treatment at PHCs, CHCs (Primary/ Community Health Centres) and district hospitals along with all the government hospitals in the country.

The court also asked the counsel for Union government to cordinate with States and find solution.

The counsel for Uttar Pradesh and Chattisgarh sought time to file reply. The court granted them four weeks time to file their respective replies in four weeks and fixed the matter for further hearing after 4 weeks.

The lawyer for the Centre said that the matter was not an adversarial litigation and the government would place on record its steps taken on the issue.

"You can have a meeting with all the representatives of the States and try to do something," the bench told the counsel.

On December 13, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre and all the states and Union Territories (UTs) and sought their detailed responses.

The plea asked court to direct authorities to initiate a snakebite prevention health mission and public awareness campaign to mitigate the high mortality rate, particularly in rural India.