Students share innovative solutions for diagnosing and treating snakebite

Winners proposed a digital platform that helps patients locate antivenom using a simple cloud-based dashboard through which hospitals can rapidly update antivenom stocks, allowing clinicians and administrators to view current availability and critical-care capacity across facilities. A digital platform, which helps patients locate antivenom using a simple cloud-based dashboard, an AI-assisted network for providing immediate first-aid guidance and alert to hospitals, were among the ideas pitched by college students at the recently held Nagathon Snakebite Innovation Challenge.Of the 10 finalist teams that participated in the final round of Nagathon 2026 at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on August 16, Prarthana and Chaitanya from team NAGAM (Network for Antivenom Grid and Monitoring) bagged the first prize of ₹1.5 lakh.They proposed a digital platform that helps patients locate antivenom using a simple cloud-based dashboard through which hospitals can rapidly update antivenom stocks, allowing clinicians and administrators to view current availability and critical-care capacity across facilities.To reduce delayThis concept is designed to help reduce delays, unnecessary transfers and time spent calling hospitals individually to locate life-saving resources.The second place was bagged by Varun Patel and Hashir from team AHIVACH, which uses WhatsApp, SMS, IVR voice calls, and laminated cards to deliver prevention messages, guide first aid, support snake identification, alert hospitals before a patient arrives, connect with rescuers, and follow up with survivors after recovery.Organisers said that this also incorporates school-based education, local-language messaging, antivenom rerouting, and survivor stories to strengthen prevention and response.The third spot went to Dhrubajyoti Ganguly and Priyanshu Misra from Project Raksha, a community-based behavior-change campaign focused on reducing dangerous delays in reaching medical care after snakebite.Hospital firstIts central message is “First the Hospital, Not the Healer,” and it proposes using street theatre, radio, household outreach, village route maps, trained volunteers and ASHA workers, and a multilingual helpline to make immediate hospital referral the normal first response.“A distinctive part of the approach is engaging traditional healers, who are often the first point of contact for rural snakebite patients, and community elders as referral partners,” said Chloe Vasquez, director, Global Snakebite Initiative.She added that one runner-up winning team comprising Tejas C., Jaya Ashwin D.S., Surekha S.R., and Tejas Kumar B.N., presented a new combination of small molecules which could neutralise key toxins and provide a cost-effective treatment for venomous snakebites.“Normally, antivenom is only available in hospitals, but this field remedy could help patients survive the lengthy journeys to the hospital,” she added. Published - August 18, 2026 07:57 pm IST