Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatusTHE CASE
Taipans are one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. They have large amounts of very potent venom, long fangs, make accurate multiple strikes and can be very aggressive.
Before the legendary Ram Chandra helped the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories develop the first Taipan Antivenom in 1956, a taipan bite was almost certainly fatal. In fact one of the first lives saved, was Ram Chandra's own when he was bitten while demonstrating taipan handling to a group of ambulance officers in Mackay.
In an uncanny echo, New Guinea taipan expert Dr David Williams was bitten while demonstrating taipans to a television documentary camera crew, his life was saved by the only vial of antivenom left in Port Moresby Hospital.
Dr Williams has helped uncover a black market in Taipan Antivenom. He highlighted two different scams. The first involves antivenom imported through official channels from Australia, about 25% of it simply disappears. 634 vials worth at least 2 million kina remain officially unaccounted for. These stolen vials reappear, and are available for private purchase at a premium. The second scam involves the unofficial importation of antivenoms that are not designed to treat the local taipan. Dr Williams says :
"anti-venoms from other countries that are not only useless for treating PNG snake bites, but also potentially dangerous in their own right".
MY VERDICT
This man is a hero (as was Ram Chandra).
Compare his actions to the miserable low-life that steal a publicly owned resource for their own financial benefit. It is worse because the high public officials, doctors and pharmacists who are complicit in this trade are betraying their position of public trust.
These people are guilty of man-slaughter by causing the needless death of those bitten by taipans but who have been denied treatment. They really need to be exposed and charged.
THE TAIPANS
Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake - Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Eastern Taipan or Coastal Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatus
Papuan Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatus canni
Central Ranges Taipan - Oxyuranus temporalis
Taipans are one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. They have large amounts of very potent venom, long fangs, make accurate multiple strikes and can be very aggressive.
Before the legendary Ram Chandra helped the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories develop the first Taipan Antivenom in 1956, a taipan bite was almost certainly fatal. In fact one of the first lives saved, was Ram Chandra's own when he was bitten while demonstrating taipan handling to a group of ambulance officers in Mackay.
In an uncanny echo, New Guinea taipan expert Dr David Williams was bitten while demonstrating taipans to a television documentary camera crew, his life was saved by the only vial of antivenom left in Port Moresby Hospital.
Dr Williams has helped uncover a black market in Taipan Antivenom. He highlighted two different scams. The first involves antivenom imported through official channels from Australia, about 25% of it simply disappears. 634 vials worth at least 2 million kina remain officially unaccounted for. These stolen vials reappear, and are available for private purchase at a premium. The second scam involves the unofficial importation of antivenoms that are not designed to treat the local taipan. Dr Williams says :
"anti-venoms from other countries that are not only useless for treating PNG snake bites, but also potentially dangerous in their own right".
MY VERDICT
This man is a hero (as was Ram Chandra).
Compare his actions to the miserable low-life that steal a publicly owned resource for their own financial benefit. It is worse because the high public officials, doctors and pharmacists who are complicit in this trade are betraying their position of public trust.
These people are guilty of man-slaughter by causing the needless death of those bitten by taipans but who have been denied treatment. They really need to be exposed and charged.
THE TAIPANS
Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake - Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Eastern Taipan or Coastal Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatus
Papuan Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatus canni
Central Ranges Taipan - Oxyuranus temporalis
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