Victims of snakebite are streaming in at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from in and around the capital as anti-snake venom is not available in other hospitals.

Snakebite has been on the rise since floodwaters engulfed two-thirds of the country as the deadly reptiles found their way into houses and localities. But medical centres in many flood-hit areas have failed to treat people bitten by snakes.

TWo persons died and at least 23 patients took admission in the DMCH since July 29 mostly from Dhaka, Manikganj, Narayanganj, Mymensign and Kishoreganj as local hospitals did not have the necessary anti-venom.

. "Snakes have become a common sight after our homes were hit by the flood. I went swimming in the pool of water in front of my house last Monday afternoon, when a snake bit me," said Mobassher ofKhejurbagan, Kcraniganj. His 11-year-old daughetr Mitu was also struck by a snake on the same day and got cured after receiving treatment at the DMCH for a couple of days.

Non-poisonous Dhora snakes bit most of the 22 patients admitted over the week and they recovered within a short period. But not everyone was as lucky.

"A poisonous snake took shelter Inside my house andbit my daughter as she got down from the bed and stepped on the coiled reptile," said Mijanur Rahman, father of a 7-year-old snakebite patient Mukta from Kishoreganj.

Flood-shelters are not safe either. Bhuttu Khan of Singair, Manikganj was bitten by a poisonous snake at Char Ulail Government Primary School shelter where he along with several

hundred others had taken refuge.

"Most of the village patients rush to the local Ojhas (witchdoctors) for treatment at first. These quacks are not equipped to handle the situation so the victims hurry to clinics and hospitals. The delay in treatment makes their condition worse," said MA Faiz, professor of medicine at the DMCH.

Around 10 patients came to the DMCH with severe venomous bites, Faiz informed .adding, that one was brought dead and another passed away half an hour after arriving while undergoing treatment.

"We do not have any mechanism to identify the venom or the type of snake that bit the patient. The doctors at the DMCH observe the symptoms of the patients for one or two days and provide medicine accordingly," said an intern doctor of the hospital.

"The patients or their relatives often mistreat them and the wounds become infected by the time they come to the hospital," he added.

The DMCH has a sufficient stock of anti snake-venom to fate the current rush. The anti-venom is free for the patients, claimed Faiz.

But patients and their relatives told this correspondent that treatment has been expensive.

"I had to buy injections and other medical accessories worth Tk 4500," said laj Uddin, the elder brother of Bhuttu, who is undergoing treatment at the (CU (intensive care unit).

32-year-old Chand Miah of Tarakunda, Mymensingh, whom a poisonous snake bit while he was cleaning hyacinth from his fish-hatchery, said he had spent Tk 5000 on his treatment at the DMCH.