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Ludhiana district AACs offer free ARV, but not serum for severe bites
According to the health department, the Ludhiana district saw 32,004 animal bite cases in 2024 and 1,309 of these were category three cases; this year till June the district saw 1,80,568 cases and 639 of those are category three cases
While the health department has announced that all the Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) will now have free-of-cost Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV), they still don’t have anti-rabies serum required in case of category three cases with severe bites, and victims still have to seek treatment at the civil hospital.
According to the health department, the Ludhiana district saw 32,004 animal bite cases in 2024 and 1,309 of these were category three cases. This year till June the district saw 1,80,568 cases and 639 of those are category three cases.
According to district epidemiologist Dr Sheetal Narang, animal bites are classified into three categories. Category one is scratches with no bleeding. This, she said, after careful examination by a doctor, doesn’t require any vaccination. Category two is bites with bleeding. This, she said, required a thorough wound wash for 15-20 minutes, ARV and tetanus injection. Category three is severe bites which need anti-rabies serum.
“In ARV, there are antigens which stimulate antibodies a week after the shot is given. But in serum, the antibodies are already present. In cases of severe bites, the serum helps in rapid response,” explained Dr Narang.
“The AACs have been supplied with ample stock of ARVs and will only be given the serum when staff present there gets experienced in cases of animal bite. The staff has to be experienced to handle severe bites. That is why they haven’t been given the serum right away. They may be provided with the serum later on,” she added.
At present the serum is available at the anti-rabies clinic at Ludhiana civil hospital and four sub-divisional hospitals and 12 community health centres (CHCs) in the district.
