Thiruvananthapuram, April 30 -- Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday said that in view of rising snakebite fatalities, the health department has prepared a special action plan to strengthen prevention, monitoring and treatment. Measures will be intensified to track snakebite cases more effectively, including hotspot mapping of hospitals based on available data, she said in a statement. Hospitals receiving a higher number of snakebite patients will be identified as "red-flagged institutions" and provided with additional facilities. A community-based surveillance system will be strengthened to report cases, while delays in treatment will be closely monitored, the minister said. Under a hub-and-spoke model, hospitals will be reorganised to improve referral systems. Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) in remote areas will be equipped with anti-snake venom (ASV), especially where access to equipped hospitals is difficult, she said, adding that both primary care centres and referral hospitals will be strengthened, particularly in identified high-risk regions. Stressing that snakebite is a life-threatening condition, the minister underlined the need for immediate treatment at the nearest equipped hospital. Special treatment protocols will be implemented for bites from species such as hump-nosed pit viper and Malabar pit viper. Doctors will be trained to identify snakes using images, while nurses will be given Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) training, she said. The department will also promote research on snakebites and adopt a "One Health" approach with greater community participation. Safety gear such as gumboots and rubber gloves will be encouraged for workers, alongside awareness campaigns and improved community-level reporting systems. Educational initiatives will include training for teachers with the help of snake volunteers, preparation of awareness videos through school social media clubs, and public-private partnership programmes, George detailed....