BY DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
The provincial government of Bohol is expanding its anti-venom distribution program to more hospitals following a recent death from cobra bite that has prompted renewed calls for better emergency preparedness.
The death of Analinda Polinar Dultra from Cabangcalan, Sevilla municipality, has bared persistent gaps in snake bite treatment across Bohol towns, where king cobras locally known as “Banakon” pose a continuing threat to Boholanos.
Provincial health officials report at least four snake encounters in recent months, with one fatality.
A child bitten at an elementary school in Panglao survived after receiving anti-venom treatment, while a man in Danao and a farmer in Mabini also survived their encounters with prompt medical intervention.
The provincial government has begun stockpiling anti-venom at strategically located facilities, with supplies currently available at Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Tagbilaran City and Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Medical Center in Ubay. The treatment covers three local cobra species.
Plans are underway to expand anti-venom availability to Garcia Memorial Hospital in Talibon, Cong. Simeon Toribio Memorial Hospital in Carmen, Teodoro Galagar Memorial Hospital in Jagna, and the new Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital in Loon.
National Supply
Philippine hospitals face chronic shortages of anti-venom treatment, particularly in rural areas where snake encounters are most common.
At present, there is still no available cobra antivenin in BMC and other poison centers in the country, even in RITM, Alabang Muntinlupa (RITM – the sole manufacturer of cobra antivenin).
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) serves as the country’s primary anti-venom manufacturer, but production capacity remains insufficient to meet national demand.
The death rate from cobra bite was estimated to be as high as 107.1 deaths per 100,000 population per year at one site.
Most victims were young (median age 17) and 98% were males.
Only 8% of the victims studied reached a hospital.
Boholana Response
Sheila Taghap, whose cousin Dultra died from the cobra bite, has written an open letter to provincial officials calling for expanded first aid training and increased funding for barangay health workers.
Her letter cites the Local Government Code’s provisions for local autonomy and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 for ensuring good health and well-being.
“It is crucial that we expand our knowledge on proper first aid responses to snake bites and similar emergencies,” Taghap wrote, calling for direct funding allocation to barangays for training programs and educational materials.
The provincial government has launched a Snake Bite Management and Prevention Program under the Provincial Health Office, aimed at community education, healthcare worker training, and mobilizing local government units to reduce snake bite incidents.
Health experts said that prompt medical attention is crucial for snake bite victims, with anti-venom most effective when administered within hours of envenomation.
The strict protocols required for anti-venom storage and administration present additional challenges for rural healthcare facilities.
Five million snake bites are recorded worldwide yearly and causes about 125,000 deaths.
The Philippines, with its tropical climate and large agricultural workforce, remains particularly vulnerable to snake bite incidents, especially in rice-farming communities where cobra encounters are common.