Senate President Godswill Akpabio has directed hospitals across Nigeria to ensure the availability of anti-venom following the recent d+ath of a young Nigerian singer, Ifunanya, who reportedly died from a snakebite in Abuja.
Akpabio gave the directive during a Senate session while addressing concerns over the lack of life-saving anti-venom in many health facilities across the country.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to prioritise the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage and nationwide distribution of safe, effective and affordable anti-venom.
The d+ath of Ifunanya has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare preparedness, particularly in the availability of critical antidotes such as anti-venom.
