Media Release

Udupi, Sep 19: The centre for wilderness medicine, under the department of emergency medicine at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, in collaboration with department for emergency medical technology, Manipal College of health professions, MAHE, Manipal and district surveillance office, Udupi district launched the VENOMS helpline on Friday, a dedicated initiative to address snakebite and other venom-related emergencies.

The helpline was formally inaugurated by Dr Nagarathna, district surveillance officer, who emphasized the importance of public - private partnerships in managing emergencies such as snakebite, accompanied by her deputy, Dr Tejaswini Patil.

Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, chief operating officer, Manipal cluster, served as guest of honour and commended MAHEs efforts in public health outreach.

Also, present were Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, Dr Vimal Krishnan S, professor and head, department of emergency medicine, Dr Jayaraj Mymbilly Balakrishnan, professor and former head of department of emergency medicine, and Dr Freston Marc Sirur, coordinator, centre for wilderness medicine.

Dr Freston remarked, “The VENOMS Helpline is designed to bridge the gap between a snakebite incident and timely treatment. Our goal is to provide rapid guidance and support to save lives and reduce complications caused by delayed care.”

Dr Vrinda Lath, assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine, provided an overview of the care pathway, while Usha, faculty in the department of emergency medical technology, Manipal College of Health Professions, highlighted the research outcomes from the VENOMS registry.