Bangladesh plans to manufacture anti-venom serum

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said the government has a plan to manufacture anti-venom serum locally as the lives of people could be saved from snake biting.

"We usually use anti-venom serum for providing life-saving treatment of snakebites and the government is planning to manufacture this particular type of injections- based in Chattogram," he said.

The minister said this while responding to a query made by Quazi Feroz Rashid of Dhaka-6 in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) in Dhaka this afternoon.

At present, the government is now importing such types of sterile medicines from abroad and steps have been taken to reach these medicines at all upazilas and districts throughout the country, he said.

But still, there is a shortage of experienced health workers to use the particular types of medicine effectively, he said, adding: "It will take time and we are preparing trained people to this end."

Snakebite causes over 6,000 deaths and some 7,00,000 people get bitten by snakes annually in Bangladesh, said the minister referring to statistics.