Snakebite: what to do, Manikganj
Courtyard meetings in villages: after a snakebite, straight to hospital and not to a healer; keep the limb still; no tight tying; which nearby hospital has antivenom.
- 0/3 people
- About 4 hours
- 10
- points
About this task
Snakebites happen in Manikganj’s chars and fields between the Padma and Jamuna. 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.
Step by step
0 of 3 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 4 hours across all steps
- 1
Find the antivenom
Phone the upazila health complex and district hospital to learn where antivenom is.
60 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Courtyard meetings
Four points: stay calm, keep the limb still, no tight tying, hospital as fast as possible.
120 minপোস্টার
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
Numbers on the wall
The hospital’s address and ambulance number at the market and mosque.
60 minপোস্টার
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
What you need
- Posters · ১৫টি
When it counts as done
- At least three courtyard meetings
- Where the antivenom is, on the posters
Proof required
- Photo
Safety
Do not try to catch a snake. No charms, cutting or sucking: straight to hospital.
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳2,000–3,900
- People
- 3
- Time in all
- 4 hours
- Age
- 15 or older
Best timeBefore the monsoon, April to June: bites rise in the monsoon and harvest season, so everyone should know before then. Afternoons, when both women and men can be in the courtyard.
PermissionNo government permission needed. Get consent from the household whose courtyard you use; tell the upazila health complex or community clinic, and invite a health worker if possible.
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Posters (A3 colour, laminated)15Where: Print and lamination shop | 15 | ৳40–80 |
| Small hand-out leaflets200Where: Photocopy shop | 200 | ৳2–3 |
| Wood/bamboo splint and gamchha for showing how to keep a limb still2 setsWhere: From home or a local shop | 2 sets | ৳0–50 |
| Phone credit for calling hospitalsonceWhere: Mobile recharge shop | once | ৳100–200 |
| Tea and puffed rice at meetings3 meetingsWhere: Local tea stall and grocery | 3 meetings | ৳300–600 |
| Total (about) | ৳2,000–3,900 | |
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 contact1
Finds where antivenom is, arranges meeting places, keeps poster details correct.
Speaker1
Says the four points plainly and answers questions; refers to a health worker when unsure.
Demonstration and posters1
Shows keeping a limb still with a splint and gamchha, puts up posters, takes photos.
Whom to speak to first
The upazila health complex (emergency department or the upazila health officer's office)
- Why
- Whether antivenom is there and where to go is the heart of the poster.
- How
- Phone or visit; write on the poster the date the information was taken.
The community clinic health provider (CHCP) or field health worker
- Why
- Villagers trust them; their presence gets questions answered correctly.
- How
- Invite them, and set the time to suit them.
The mosque imam, school head teacher and market committee
- Why
- Places for posters; a one-minute announcement after Friday prayers or at assembly.
- How
- Ask in person and show them the poster.
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.
How to take the proof
- One photo per meeting, from behind or afar; no women's or children's faces without consent.
- Photos of posters in place, with the hospital's name and number readable.
- One line on which hospital confirmed antivenom, and on what date.
Common first-time mistakes
- Teaching people to tie a tight rope or cloth; it causes harm.
- Holding meetings without knowing where antivenom is.
- Speaking to frighten; teaching calm works better.
- Leaving out prevention: a torch at night, sleeping on a cot under a mosquito net, shoes and a stick in the fields.
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.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
WhatsApp / Facebook / mosque announcement
Snakebite: what to do — courtyard meeting When: [date], from 3 pm Where: [household/courtyard], [village] Four things every family should know: 1. Stay calm; lay the person down. 2. Do not move the bitten limb; keep it still with a loosely tied splint. 3. No tight tying, no cutting, no sucking. 4. Not a healer: hospital, fast. Nearest antivenom: [hospital name]. Ambulance: 999. Women and men all welcome. No cost.
Letter to the upazila health complex
Date: [date] To The Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer [upazila] Upazila Health Complex, [district] Subject: Snakebite awareness courtyard meetings, and antivenom information. Sir/Madam, We are [team name], a volunteer team on the Desher Kaj platform. On [date] we wish to hold three courtyard meetings in [union/village] on what to do after a snakebite, and put up posters at the market and mosque. We kindly request: 1. Whether antivenom is available at your complex, and the emergency department's contact number, so the posters carry correct information. 2. If possible, permission for a health worker to attend a meeting. No money will be collected for this work. Yours faithfully [Name], team lead [team name]
After it is done
- Before every monsoon, recheck antivenom at the hospital and update the posters.
- Keep a few named volunteers in each neighbourhood who will help get a patient to hospital, even at night.
- Ask schools to repeat the four points at assembly; children carry them home.
Questions people ask
Are all snakes venomous?
No, most are not; but it is hard to tell by sight, so every bite goes to hospital.
Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.