Rs 22 lakh granted to boost treatment of poison cases

To ensure all doctors and nurses working in the PHCs are trained in providing immediate recovery in case of snake bites and other forms of poisoning, the state has sanctioned Rs 22 lakh for training to be imparted to these resuscitators.

As poison management continues to demand much attention in Tamil Nadu, stress was now being laid on uniformity in terms of treatment across the state.

With their objectives being patient care, training and research activities, the Toxicology Research and Training Institute at RGGGH has been trying to empower doctors and nurses towards handling the cases coming to them.

“The state has also provided all government health centres with anti-snake venom, anti-rabies vaccines and anti-rabies immunoglobulins,” said Dr S Raghunanthanan, Head of the Centre at the Hospital.

Besides this institute, another centre at Madurai focuses on training doctors on poison management, with detailing done on the latest protocols to be followed under the World Health Organisation and the union government’s guidelines. “The doctors and para-medical staff are being trained to work as per the guidelines. This is to ensure that patients are provided adequate treatment, before being referred to centres with advance facilities. They are also being trained on triaging,” added the doctor.

While the triage protocols are provided to doctors and nurses to ensure their handling of cases with confidence, he said, “we have been providing poison management training for the past two years. However, the government is now trying to assure that all doctors are covered under the programme.

We are focussing on relatively common poisons like snake bites and the consumption of pesticides and rat killer paste by persons attempting suicide – common in rural areas,” said a doctor at the hospital.

Besides the training provided to doctors and nurses, Information, Education, Communication (IEC) activities are also being roped into the dos and don’ts list for persons in the rural sector. “Vaccines and other forms of medication are available at all government centres in the state, free of cost. We are therefore creating awareness on this availability to discourage victims from approaching quacks,” said a health official.