Acute shortage of anti-rabies vaccine in Kupwara

Government-run health centers in Kupwara district are facing an acute shortage of anti-rabies vaccine as dog bite victims are forced to buy it from the open market on high prices, or sent 100 kilometers away to Srinagar for treatment.

Officials at the SDH Kupwara say no vaccine supplies havereached it since one year during which time more than 1500 victims have visitedit. But the hospital is running empty of anti-rabies vaccines.

   

During the last one month alone over 150 dog bite cases werereported in the district.

An official in the hospital said that three to five patientswith dog bites visit every day, but only receive first aid.

A rare patient gets a single vaccine dose where five arerequired to be administered as full dose to ensure safety of a victim.

Mohammad Gulzar Shah from Trehgam visited SDH Kupwara foranti-rabies vaccine after his daughter was bitten by a dog few days earlier.But the medical staff turned him away saying they had no vaccine in thehospital.

“I am a farmer, after a day’s hardwork I hardly get paid 300to 400 rupees, how can I afford 1600 rupees for these vaccines,” Shah said.

Official sources in the health department all primary healthcenters, sub-centers and even SDH Kupwara have faced shortage of anti-rabiesvaccine for months.

“When I visited this hospital for the treatment thedoctors asked me to get my child vaccinated. I have to buy the vaccine from themarket as hospital don’t have the supply,” said Yasmeena, a resident of Kupwarawhose child was bitten by a dog recently.

The vaccine is expensive and costs Rs 325 per shot, whereasin hospitals it is provided free. A dog bite victim needs five shots over a fewweeks.

Anti-rabies vaccine must begin to be administered to avictim within 24 hours of a dog biting.

“I cannot afford to buy five vaccines from the market so Idecided to travel to Sopore or Srinagar hospital for further treatment.”Yasmeena said.

An official at the SDH Kupwara admitted that attacks bycanines have increased in the district in the recent past and private medicalshops also were running thin on ati-rabies vaccine stocks.

“For last three months I tried to arrange some vaccines fromoutside the state, but now we too are facing acute shortage. I am trying tocontact stores outside the state, but no one is providing us the stock,” said ashopkeeper outside the SDH Kupwara.

“This is a serious issue and needs to be looked intoimmediately.”

An official in the hospital said that the hospital cannotbuy the vaccine on its own as medicines are supplied by the Jammu and KashmirMedical Supplies Corporation Limited.

“Due to shortage of funds we hardly get few vaccines fromthe market which we provide to a few patients only and most of the patientshave to get them from market,” the official said, adding a demand for thevaccine has been sent to the JKMSCL.

“We are waiting when they will provide us the supply butfrom one year we have not received any single vaccine.”

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