NEW DELHI, 27 JAN

The Supreme Court on Monday observed the issue of snakebites was prevalent 'throughout the country' and asked the Centre to take all states on board to 'do something' in making available snakebite treatment in medical facilities.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and SVN Bhatti was hearing a plea that 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 throughout the country," the bench told the Centre's counsel.

It went on, "You can have a meeting with all the representatives of the states and try to do something. It is not an adversarial litigation."

The Centre's counsel said the government would place on record its steps taken on the issue.

The lawyers of some states said they would file their counter affidavit in the matter following which the bench granted them six weeks and posted the matter after that.

On 13 December last year, the apex court sought responses from the Centre and others on the plea filed by Shailendra Mani Tripathi, an advocate.

The plea sought directions to make available anti-venom and snakebite treatment at health centres, government hospitals and medical colleges to save lives of victims.

The plea, filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, argued India with the highest rate of snakebite deaths globally witnessed 58,000 fatalities approximately each year.

"Despite this much of high mortality rate there is scarcity of anti-venom (polyvenom)," it argued.

The plea said many rural areas in the country lacked adequate stocks of anti-venom, leading to delays in treatment for snakebite victims.

The plea therefore sought directions to conduct snakebite prevention health mission and public awareness campaigns to reduce mortality, particularly in rural areas.

It sought directions to establish snakebite treatment and care units along with specialised trained doctors as per standard medical norms in government district hospitals and medical colleges.