Dog bite victims rue shortage of anti-rabies vaccines at IGMC

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 21

Even as four dog bite victims succumbed to rabies in 2017 and one in 2018, the dog bite and monkey bite victims are facing shortage of anti-rabies vaccine and serum at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital and other hospitals in the state.

The animal bite cases are on the rise in the capital, which is reporting 15 to 20 cases daily with the onset of summer. But the victims who are brought for anti-rabies vaccine and serum injections at the IGMC are being referred to Deen Dayal Upadhayay Hospital which results in delay in treatment by three to four hours, rued victims.

The anti-rabies vaccines and serum are among 330 essential drugs, which are supplied free to the patients under the Chief Minister Nishulk Dawai Yoja na(CMNDY) in all hospitals in the state.

“There were four deaths from Solan, Mandi, Hamirpur due to rabies in 2017 as three victims were not given anti-rabies vaccine and serum”, said Dr Umesh Bharti, a public health expert, who was awarded the Padam Shree for developing a cheap four-injection “Himachal protocol”, which was adopted by Himachal Health Department in 2014 and was recognised by WHO.

Dr Bharti said a girl from Theog died of rabies in December last. Her cheek was bitten and virus spread fast through the bitten nerve. There has been no death due to rabies this year, he added.

“If the anti-rabies vaccine and serum are not administrated in case the animal is infected, the victims run a risk of getting the virus”, he cautioned.

He said the animal bite victims should wash the wound and saliva immediately with water and soap. “It prevents 40 per cent of the risk of rabies, but the patients should be given vaccine within 15 hours to prevent any risk, he advised.

Dr Bharti said the treatment had become cheaper with the “Himachal protocol”, which had been adopted by WHO. “It costs Rs 300 per person, which was whopping Rs 30,000 earlier.

Medical superintendent, IGMC Dr Janak Raj said, “We have taken all necessary action. But manufacturing agency is not providing the required quantity. Dr Sonam, State Surveillance Officer for rabies, said the Health Department had allocated budget under the CMNDY to the CMOs and MS of all hospitals to procure the vaccines. But most of the hospitals were providing the vaccines to the patients as and when they demanded, he added.