Jakarta The Ministry of Health is procuring three types of antivenom serums this year for provincial-level referral hospitals, Head of the Public Communication and Services Bureau of the ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi has informed.
“Currently, the antivenoms that we have purchased only exist in the central facility, and there are only three types of them,” she said here on Saturday.
The three types of antivenoms are king cobra antivenom, Thai neuro polyvalent antivenom, and Daboia siamensis antivenom.
State-owned vaccine company PT Bio Farma is also producing the BioSave serum, which can neutralize the venom of the ground snake, striped snake, and Javanese cobra.
The procurement of the three antivenoms is being undertaken in 2023, and they will be distributed immediately to provincial-level referral hospitals, Tarmizi informed.
Throughout the procurement process, venomous snake bite incidents can be treated through the first aid method, she said.
The method involves washing a snake bite with soap and water and keeping the bitten area still and lower than the heart.
The next step is to cover the bitten area with a clean, cold compress or moist pads to reduce swelling and discomfort and monitor breathing and heartbeat.
This needs to be followed by removing all tight rings, watches, and clothing, in case of swelling. The time when the bite occurred also needs to be recorded so that it can be reported to an intensive care unit health service provider, if necessary.
If possible, the initial reaction as well as the snake’s size and type should be recorded to help the medical staff determine a more accurate treatment.
Health workers at public health centers (puskesmas) have already mastered the method, Tarmizi said.
“What puskesmas staff need to do in the case of snake bite incident is to carry out first aid as an early treatment to prevent systemic reaction such as immobilization,” she explained.
Source: Antara News