Snakebite: what to do

About this task

In Moulvibazar, a district of tea gardens, forest and haors, people working in fields and gardens are at risk of snakebite. Four points at courtyard meetings: after a bite, stay calm; keep the limb still; no tight tying, cutting or sucking; not a healer but a hospital, fast. Beforehand, phoning to learn which nearby hospital has antivenom, and putting it on the posters.

Why it matters

Many people in Bangladesh die of snakebite every year, mostly in villages, in the monsoon and in paddy fields. Many deaths come from time lost with a healer; antivenom is now available at district and many upazila hospitals.

What changes after

At least three courtyard meetings; posters with the hospital’s address and number at the market and mosque; every family knows what to do in the first hour.

Who can join

Anyone; best with a health worker or medical student.

What it costs

Getting ready, step by step

• 10 days before

  Phone or visit the upazila health complex and district hospital: is antivenom in stock, and is it given 24 hours?

  Collect the hospital's address, emergency number and the nearest ambulance number; add 999.

• 7 days before

  Fix three neighbourhoods and the courtyards for the meetings.

  Finalise the poster text, and show it to a health worker if possible.

• 3 days before

  Print posters and leaflets.

  The team rehearses the four points and the demonstration once.

• On the day

  20–30 minutes per meeting: four points, a demonstration, questions.

  Put up posters at the market, mosque, school and community clinic.

• The week after

  Check the posters are intact; replace torn ones.

  Update the posters if the hospital's antivenom situation changes.

Who does what

• Lead and hospital contact (1): Finds where antivenom is, arranges meeting places, keeps poster details correct. — ____________
• Speaker (1): Says the four points plainly and answers questions; refers to a health worker when unsure. — ____________
• Demonstration and posters (1): Shows keeping a limb still with a splint and gamchha, puts up posters, takes photos. — ____________

The day, hour by hour

• 14:30Reach the first courtyard, arrange seating, hang a poster.
• 15:00First meeting: four points — stay calm; keep the limb still; no tight tying, cutting or sucking; not a healer, hospital fast.
• 15:15Demonstration: a splint tied loosely with a gamchha to keep the limb still, rings and bangles off; then questions.
• 15:45Walk to the second courtyard.
• 16:00Second meeting, the same way.
• 16:45Third meeting.
• 17:30Posters at the market, mosque and clinic, photos; finish before dusk.

What can go wrong, and what to do

• Someone at the meeting argues for healers or charms → Do not argue or disrespect; say calmly: the only treatment for venom is hospital antivenom, and every minute counts.
• Teaching wrong first aid → Stick to the four points; suggest no medicine, herbs, ice or methods of your own; when unsure, refer to a health worker or 16263.
• A snake is seen near the meeting → Move everyone away calmly; do not try to catch or kill it; let it go.
• The hospital details on the poster go out of date → Write the date checked on the poster; phone again before each monsoon.

Useful numbers

• 999National emergency: police, fire, ambulance (free)
• 16263Shasthya Batayon: a doctor on the phone

Team notes