An awareness programme for farming families at Kalyandurg on what to do — and what never to do — after a snake bite. Correct first aid and rapid transport to a hospital with anti-snake venom are what determine survival.
Snake bite is an occupational hazard of agriculture in Rayalaseema, and most bites happen in fields, on paths at dusk, and inside homes at night during the monsoon. The treatment that works is anti-snake venom given at a hospital, and the main determinant of outcome is how quickly the patient reaches one.
The programme teaches the correct first aid: reassure and keep the person still, immobilise the bitten limb like a fracture and keep it below heart level, remove rings, anklets and tight clothing before swelling begins, and move the patient to hospital immediately, ideally lying down.
It is equally direct about what causes harm. Do not apply a tight tourniquet. Do not cut, suck or burn the wound. Do not apply herbal pastes, chillies or stones. Do not spend time seeking a traditional healer, and do not wait to see whether symptoms appear before starting for the hospital — the delay is what kills.
Prevention is covered too: using a torch and footwear when walking at night, clearing grain, firewood and rubble away from the house wall, sleeping on a cot rather than the floor during the monsoon, and using a mosquito net tucked in on all sides, which also keeps snakes off a sleeping person.
Village groups, farmers' collectives and schools that want a session for their community can arrange one through /contact-us.