In a critical effort to reduce snakebite deaths, HEAL recently conducted a specialised training session for 83 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers in Kultali BDO Office in Jamtala, South 24 Paragnas, West Bengal, India.

West Bengal, a state with one of the highest numbers of snakebite incidents in India, suffers from a lack of awareness and a high rate of misinformation around proper medical treatment of snakebites which often causes avoidable delays and preventable fatalities. HEAL’s campaign directly addresses this issue by focusing on capacity building and community education.

The session, a key part of HEAL’s ‘Zero Deaths From Snakebite’ project in Kultali block of Sundarbans, supported by Upadhyaya Foundation, focused on equipping these frontline health workers with the knowledge to provide immediate and effective post-snakebite care. These frontline health workers are the backbone of rural healthcare, and by equipping them with life-saving knowledge to manage snakebite as first responders, we are strengthening the entire community’s resilience.

The training was led by Mr. Suvrajyoti Chatterjee, Co-Founder and Secretary at HEAL, and Dr. Samarendra Nath Roy, a prominent doctor from Canning Government Hospital who has successfully treated over 1000+ snake bite cases.

In the beginning, a written questionnaire survey was administered to the participants to assess their baseline knowledge levels on snakebite prevention, first aid, and treatment.

This was followed by the training session, where ASHAs were provided with essential knowledge on:

• Identifying  venomous and non-venomous snake species found in and around Sundarbans
• Dispelling common misinformation about snakebite treatment.
• Understanding and recognising symptoms caused by bites of medically important snakes or the ‘Big Four’—common krait, monocellate cobra, russel’s viper and spectacled cobra.
• Administering correct first aid before victims reach a hospital.
• Preventing human-snake conflict by understanding snake behaviour.

The participants listened to the talk with rapt attention, interacted and posed insightful questions, and gathered as much information as they could from the presentation and the posters that we had put up. HEAL received heartfelt thanks from the ASHA workers, who said the workshop was a unique and thorough training opportunity they rarely get.

Lastly, a few snakebite patients who had recently been bitten and had made a full recovery also attended the event. They had been treated by Dr. Roy. Their presence and interaction with the participants reinforced the message that a seemingly ‘life-threatening snakebite’ can indeed be cured and full recovery without adverse outcomes is possible — if treatment is received promptly.

We are immensely hopeful that this batch of ASHAs will remember the training they received and will apply the lessons learnt in real-life situations. We also plan to stay in touch with them to provide them with guidance and to understand how the session has helped them in caring for snakebite victims.

Many thanks to Upadhyaya Foundation for supporting our work.