Due to large swaths of land under floodwaters in Warrap State’s Tonj North County, 32 were admitted to various health facilities in August and September as a result of snakebites, according to health officials.
John Akot, the Director of the Tonj North County Health Department, said snakebite cases are on the rise because snakes are moving to high and dry ground to avoid the floods and in the process bite people. He added that there is also a rise in malaria and pneumonia cases in the county.
“We have challenges in the health facilities and we have recorded 32 cases of snakebites from August and September with no deaths so far according to the data we have from the Monitoring and Evaluation Department,” he said. “What increases the number of bites is too much rains which displace snakes from where they hide and they look for dry places and later bite with people.”
Akot said 64 vials of antivenoms were distributed to healthcare centers in his county and that the health condition generally is bad as some health facilities didn’t get insufficient drugs that were distributed to counties last week.
“Health Pool Fund (HPF) was supporting all Payams in Tonj North County and when this new project (HSTP) came in, some facilities or health points are not now functioning as before the like of Majak Lou, Rorkou PHCU, Akurbiok PHCU in Kuacthii Payam, we have Madhiath PHCU and Wut thil PHCU so people who were getting services are now deprived of treatment,” he said.
The health official advised people to take precautions against snakes during flooding.
“People should clear bushes and the grass around their homesteads, they should use gumboots while collecting fire woods or looking after livestock and I want people also to move in water with caution because other snakes hide in water and when adults harvest crops, it is also another area where snake can harm people,” Akot advised.
For his part, Deng Awan, the Acting Director General at the Warrap State Ministry of Health and Environment, said that his office is aware that some health facilities did not get medicine and the issue will be referred to the national health ministry in Juba.