Health seeking behaviours of snakebite victims in rural areas of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease and India accounts for maximum mortalities related to snakebites. This could be due to typical health seeking behaviour, inadequately trained manpower at the primary care centres or misbeliefs in community that hinder timely treatments of snakebites. The current study reports a total of 76 bites (M:F=40:36) from rural Rajasthan in Western India (Mean age= 29±17 years). The majority of victims went to health care centres e.g., primary care centres (n=44/76=57.8%), including 14 victims who reported to community health centres (18.4%). Although the majority visited health care centres (76.2%) but a total of 23/44 victims (52%) approached faith healers before going to health facilities. A sizable number took consultations from place of worship as per their faith (n=15) and snake charmers (called as bhopa in local language; n=8). Snake charmers performed the dangerous act of sucking the blood from the victim's wound (n=5).

Keywords

• snakebite
• health seeking
• primary health care.