Senate President Godswill Akpabio has directed hospitals across Nigeria to ensure the availability of anti-venom following the reported death of a young Nigerian singer, Ifunanya, who allegedly died from a snakebite in Abuja.
Akpabio gave the directive during a plenary session of the Senate, where lawmakers raised concerns over the shortage of life-saving anti-venom in many public health facilities across the country.
According to him, “No Nigerian should lose their life to a preventable condition due to the absence of basic life-saving medication. Anti-venom must be readily available in our hospitals, and relevant agencies must treat this as an urgent national priority.”
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 Senate President stressed that timely access to anti-venom is critical in reducing fatalities from snakebites, especially during medical emergencies.
The death of Ifunanya has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare preparedness, particularly in ensuring the availability of critical antidotes in health facilities nationwide.