Chandigarh MC may discontinue free anti-rabies vaccine for outsiders

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 2

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation may discontinue providing free anti-rabies vaccine to hundreds of dog-bite victims coming to the city for treatment from neighbouring states.

Sources said the MC had mooted the proposal after the UT Health Department showed its inability to provide these vaccines anymore to dispensaries controlled by the civic body citing increasing expenditure.

The department had agreed to supply vaccines free of cost three years ago initially only for six months, but the practice had been continued since then.

The sources said the department had recently conveyed to the MC that the expenditure of vaccine had increased to around Rs 1 crore from a few lakhs in these years.

The department has further said that the state budget for the central store at the GMSH-16 is limited and medicines for other purposes are also being brought from these funds.

Commissioner KK Yadav said the civic body had received a communication from the department, but he had directed the Medical Officer (Health) to ensure that the vaccine should be provided free of cost to all patients till the MC takes the final decision.

He said the proposal had been prepared whether patients who are residing outside the city are to be provided with free medicines or not. The final decision would be taken in the next General House meeting of the MC.

Over 1,000 dog-bites cases are reported at the dispensaries of the MC every month.