Ramlakhan Kewat of Marchwari rural municipality-4 of Rupandehi was bitten by a dog while he was walking on the road. He went to the nearby Raipur primary health center to get vaccinated against rabies. After getting the information that the vaccine was over there, he reached Bhim Hospital in Bhairahawa. After not being vaccinated against rabies even at Bhim Hospital, he went to the Nautanwa market in bordering India. "When I couldn't get the rabies vaccine anywhere, I reached Nautanwa and administered it," Kewat said.

There are many people who come to Bhim Hospital which is a district hospital after being bitten by dogs to get vaccinated against rabies . According to the hospital, 50 people come daily for rabies vaccination. They are forced to run to private health institutions or border Indian market after not getting vaccinated in the hospital.

Ishwari Gyawali, head of administration of Bhim Hospital, said that the anti-rabies vaccine has run out in the hospital for three weeks. The vaccine comes once a year around January/February. There is no option to return it because it is not finished,' he said, 'we are demanding, it will arrive soon.' The government has been providing the vaccine against rabies for free.

Rabies vaccine is being provided by the government in 40 health institutions including hospitals and primary health centers in 12 districts of Lumbini province. The Lumbini Pradesh Health Supply Center in Butwal determines the quota and provides vaccines to those institutions. But due to shortage in the center, it could not be provided in health institutions. Hari Acharya of Lumbini Province Health Supply Center Vaccination Branch said, "Though there is a demand for vaccines from all sides, they have not been able to provide them due to lack of stock." The province has been demanding to provide anti-rabies vaccine since last August. According to Acharya, only 1,160 vials of anti-rabies vaccine were available for Lumbini province last year from the Communicable Disease Control Division of the Ministry of Health.

Even though the province has provided some quantity till the second week of October, including the 12 thousand 125 vials that were in the balance of the previous year, they have not been able to distribute them. Acharya said that 69 thousand 240 vials are required annually at the rate of 5 thousand 770 per month for 40 places.

Since it is not available in government health institutions, the rabies vaccine has to be administered by private health institutions at high cost. A minimum of 2500 rupees must be paid privately for this vaccine which needs to be administered three times after being bitten by a dog or an animal that can spread rabies infection. But most of the private clinics do not keep this vaccine as it is said to be available for free from the government health institution. Pramod Gyawali, the owner of Sijal Pharmacy located in Siddharthnagar Municipality-9 Prabhatpath, said that the number of people coming to get vaccinated against rabies due to dog bites is high.