The Federal Government has designated four hospitals in Benue State as specialised snakebite treatment centres, with plans to supply them with government-procured anti-snake venom to improve access to life-saving treatment.

The state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing officials of the ministry at the state secretariat in Makurdi.

Ogwuche said the designated facilities were strategically located across the state’s three senatorial districts to ensure wider access to treatment.

The centres are the General Hospital, Katsina-Ala, in Zone A; the University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, and General Hospital, Gboko, both in Zone B; and the General Hospital, Otukpo, in Zone C.

The commissioner described the approval as a significant step towards expanding access to treatment and advancing the free snakebite treatment initiative of the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

He added that healthcare professionals at the designated hospitals would receive specialised training in the management of snakebite envenoming to strengthen their capacity to provide timely and effective care.

Ogwuche, who commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, said the initiative reflected effective collaboration between the federal and state governments in tackling critical public health challenges.

He explained that the centres were expected to receive anti-snake venom supplies under the Federal Neglected Tropical Diseases Envenoming Programme, helping to reduce the financial burden on victims and support the state’s free treatment initiative.

The commissioner noted that the intervention would particularly benefit farmers and rural dwellers, who face a higher risk of snakebites because of their exposure to agricultural environments.

Benue State is predominantly agrarian, with a significant proportion of its population engaged in farming, exposing many residents, particularly those in rural communities, to snakebites.

Displaced persons living in overcrowded camps are also among the vulnerable groups.

The latest approval is expected to strengthen healthcare delivery and reduce the risk of preventable deaths and financial hardship associated with snakebite incidents in the state.