Karnataka to provide Anti-Rabies Vaccine free for all animal bite victims

Karnataka directs government hospitals to provide free anti-Rabies vaccine and Rabies immunoglobulin for all animal bite victims.

Published on: Oct 7, 2023, 12:13:52 IST

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The Karnataka Health Department has directed all government hospitals to provide Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) free of cost as per requirement for all animal bite victims, irrespective of APL or BPL card.

Rabies has been declared as a Notifiable Disease in Karnataka from December 5, 2022.

A circular issued on Thursday by the state's Health and Family Welfare Services Commissioner said although Rabies is a fatal disease, timely and appropriate treatment can save lives.

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"Elimination of dog-bite mediated rabies by 2030" is the mission of the National Rabies Control Program (NRCP).

Rabies has been declared as a Notifiable Disease in Karnataka from December 5, 2022.

In this regard, ARV and RIG, the main stay of treatment to prevent the fatal rabies disease, have been made a part of the annual indent supply by Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd and sufficient stock has to be maintained in all government hospitals, it said.

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"No animal bite victim shall be denied treatment irrespective of their possession of APL/BPL card. Therefore, it is hereby directed to provide ARV and RIG free of cost as per requirement for all animal bite victims. The Medical Officers are instructed to judiciously use the RIG as per the NRCP recommendations," the circular added. According to a recent systematic estimation survey carried out by the city civic body, Bengaluru has a total of 2,79,335 stray dogs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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