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| Reality bites: GMC&H runs out of Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) | | | K Koushal
JAMMU, June 27: While health authorities are on their toes following the death of rabies infected youth in Kishtwar to its sharp contrast and shocking incident the patients twinge by dog or other animal bites have no cure at premier health care in Jammu region i.e. Government Medical College and Hospital courtesy the authorities at GMC&H Jammu for the last four years, are without the anti-rabies serum (ARS).
An old saying, 'Prevention is better than cure, fits to Jammuites that they should protect at their own from animal bites particularly when there is no cure at the premier health institute.
If recalled here following the death of 23 year old Ayaz Rasool of Dadpath Kishtwar who was suffering from Rabies last night, panic gripped in and around the villages forcing MoS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo to chair a high-level meeting of district administration on June 26 in Kishtwar.
According to the sources the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu has no cure to patients suffering from any animal bites particularly dog and monkey bites and GMC&H is without the Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) for the last four years.
"The anti-rabies serum needed to treat animal bite cases categorised as Class III, was being procured by the purchase committee of GMC&H. But for the last four years, hospital administration stopped to procure the ARS, they added
They said that rabies vaccine, which is used for Class I and Class II category bites, is available in the hospital but whenever it comes for critical bites, the required ARS is out of stock for the patients.
And what is the worst here that on average, 20-25 cases of animal bites including dog are reported every day at the GMC&H and 70 percent of the cases are said to be critical where ARS is needed and the patients are asked to purchase it at their own.
Last year supplies of anti-rabies vaccine too went dried up and it is not new to the hospital but such emergencies are always there as apart from this there was acute shortage of Anti-snake venom in the hospital.
The common complaint is that though the authorities know that the problem of vaccine shortage crops up frequently, they do not plan accordingly beforehand to handle the critical situation.
"For Minor bites, where there are less than five wounds or even if there is licking, require anti-rabies vaccine (tissue culture vaccine), which also costs Rs 700 to Rs 900 per injection in the market.
H.O.D Preventive and Social Medicine Department, Dr Dinesh admitted a steep rise in the cases of dog bites at the same time he also admitted the unavailability of Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) in the hospital.
Principal GMC&H, Dr Ghanishyam however in a defensive manner said that Anti-Rabies vaccine is being provided to dog/monkey bite patients. Accepting the non availability of ARS, he added the supply of Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) has been cut off due to financial crunch for the last over few years. |
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