The Nigerian Senate has called for a comprehensive overhaul of national emergency healthcare protocols following growing concerns over fatalities resulting from reptile encounters, particularly snakebites.
The call followed a motion moved by Senator Oluranti Idiat Adebule, which was prompted by the recent death of Ifunanya Nwagene, who reportedly died after being bitten by a snake.
Presenting the motion, Senator Adebule described the incident as tragic and preventable, highlighting critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system, including the scarcity of anti-venom and the absence of effective rapid-response infrastructure for poisonous animal encounters in both rural and urban areas.
She urged the Federal Government to develop and implement robust policies specifically targeted at medical emergencies arising from encounters with poisonous animals.
The Senate also stressed the need for a mandatory supply of anti-venom in all primary and tertiary healthcare facilities across the country to ensure timely and effective treatment.
Supporting the motion, Senators Sunday Karimi and Titus Zam lamented the frequency of snakebite-related deaths and called for urgent action to prevent further loss of lives.
Lawmakers noted that the death of Ifunanya Nwagene underscores the vulnerability of many Nigerians due to inadequate emergency medical logistics and poor access to life-saving treatment.
The Senate resolved to engage relevant authorities to address the gaps and improve emergency response mechanisms nationwide.
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