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Anti-rabies vaccine crisis hits city
Despite 'quality patient care' promised by the State government, the district hospitals in Allahabad are facing worst ever crisis of anti-rabies vaccine. What's more the hospitals are not expecting the supply before April.
Despite 'quality patient care' promised by the State government, the district hospitals in Allahabad are facing worst ever crisis of anti-rabies vaccine. What's more the hospitals are not expecting the supply before April.
The anti-rabies vaccine became completely out of stock at Tej Bahadur Sapru (Beli) Hospital about a month back. Whereas the vaccine stock at the Moti Lal Nehru (Colvin) Hospital is expected to last for another eight or nine days. Also being end of the financial year the hospitals are not expected to get the supply before mid-April.
In March 2005 the Beli Hospital received a stock of about 11000 vaccines from UP Health System Development Project (UPHSDP). Being the only hospital in five districts to have the vaccine stock, 50 to 70 dog-bite cases as far as from Chitrakoot, Mirzapur, Fatehpur, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh and Kaushambi districts used to come to the hospital for vaccine. Due to which the stock ended in December and since then the hospital has not yet received the supply, said Dr Sandeep Choudhary hospital's central medical store incharge. "We have sent a number of reminders to the CMSD Lucknow for the supply. But honestly speaking we are not expecting the supply before April," he said.
However, after a long hiatus of two months the Colvin Hospital received a stock of 600 vaccine on March 2, 2006. But with 60-70 fresh dog-bite cases reporting to the hospital daily the supply is expected to last eight or nine days, said officiating chief medical superintendent, Dr RD Ram.
Dr Ram said there are also follow-ups of dog bite cases. "With a large number of dog-bite cases reporting to the hospital we need an annual budget of Rs 25 lakh for the vaccine. But we get only Rs one lakh which is very less. Moreover in the absence of vaccine the poor patients are forced to buy the vaccine from market which costs around Rs 270. And the cost of complete vaccine course comes around Rs 1,000," he added.
