Women, Children, Elderly Citizen and Social Welfare Committee of Parliament on Thursday directed the government to take steps to produce anti-venom in the country.

To that end, the committee has instructed various government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Forest, to conduct a study which will be coordinated by the Health Ministry. Each year, the country faces shortage of anti-venom as the cases of snake bite rises with the onset of monsoon. The government has been importing anti-venom from India. Lately, the suppliers have expressed their inability to supply the essential antidote, citing that they have been unable to fulfil the demand in their own country.

The country needs at least 30,000 to 40,000 vials of anti-venom serum annually which is supplied for free to around 26 districts through 50 outlets. Health officials worry the number of snakebite-related deaths could go up if anti-venom is not made easily available within the country.

 Every year, around 150 people die of snakebites. Doctors say that depending on the amount of poison in a patient’s body, up to 27 vials of anti-venom could be used in a single case of snakebite.

The the government had earlier formed a panel to conduct a feasibility study on producing anti-venom in the country. The panel, however, did not conduct any work.