Despite the allocation of 13 million rupees in the last financial year, there is a shortage of vaccines across the country due to the failure of the health service department to purchase them on time
What you should know
Due to the failure of the government to purchase it on time, there has been a shortage of 'vaccine' against rabies given to patients bitten by animals such as dogs and cats. Patients in Kathmandu Valley have to go to Shahid Shukraraj Tropical and Communicable Disease Hospital in Tekuma to get this vaccine given by the government free of charge. In other districts too, the necessary vaccine could not be supplied.
The number of people coming to Teku Hospital after being bitten by dogs and cats is increasing. According to hospital data, 14,814 people received anti-rabies vaccine after being injured by animal bites including dogs. The number of vaccinations increased to 17 thousand 194 people in June. According to the statistics of Teku Hospital, 500 to 550 people come for treatment every day. According to the hospital, 10 to 15 people come daily just for dog bite consultation.
While the number of people injured due to animal bites including dogs is increasing, there is a lack of anti-rabies vaccine in health institutions across the country including district and provincial hospitals, primary health centers. Asmita Thapa of Bhaktapur Suryavinayak Municipality went to Bhaktapur District Hospital to get anti-rabies vaccine after her son was bitten by a dog last Thursday. Teku went to the hospital when she couldn't find it there either. "Earlier, if you had to get a vaccine, you would have to go to the district or city hospital," she said, "now you have to suffer."
Acting Director of Bhaktapur Hospital, Dr. Surendra Prasad Bhatt, said that the lack of anti-rabies vaccine was caused by the Department of Health Services not sending enough anti-rabies vaccine recently. "Every day, 3-4 people will come for treatment for animal bites including dogs," he said, "We are referring all of them to Teku Hospital." According to Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel, Medical Superintendent (MESU) of the hospital, there is a shortage of vaccine against rabies in the hospital. Paudel said that 400 vial vaccines were recently supplied to the hospital. He informed that when the supply is available from the department, it is delivered free of charge and when it is not, the person buys it.
Dinesh Rupakheti, head of Chitwan Public Health Office, said that 240 rabies vaccines have been arranged to be sent to local health centers. There is a possibility that more will come from the province within some time. "There is no big problem now," he said. Similarly, daily 10/15 dog-bitten patients come to Narayani Hospital in Birganj, Madhesh Pradesh for vaccination against rabies. Since the second week of June, after the rabies vaccine has run out, patients have been buying it from private pharmacies. This hospital is giving vaccination against rabies to 2200 people annually. Udayanarayan Singh said.
Although 130 million rupees were allocated for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccine in the last financial year, the health service department could not purchase it on time, so there is a shortage of vaccines across the country. Earlier, the department had canceled the tender for the purchase of vaccines last February. According to the officials of the department, due to the collusion of the suppliers, only one company had to cancel the tender when the cost was higher than the price.
The department again signed an agreement with Indian Immunologicals Company on 21st June to purchase anti-rabies vaccine. According to the agreement, the company received a letter of credit on June 3 to provide the vaccine within 90 days. So far, the company has provided only 60,000 vials of 0.5 ml. According to the agreement, the company has to provide 90 thousand vials of 1 ml and 174 thousand vials of 0.5 ml vaccine.
Director of Health Services Department Management Division Dr. Pawanjung Rayamazhi said that because there is only one refrigerated van to deliver the rabies vaccine to the district, there is a delay in supplying the rabies vaccine to the district. "We have now sent vaccines to the districts of the western region. Then we will send it to the East," he said, "We have written to the supplier company to provide the vaccine soon."
According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, more than 100 people die annually from rabies, a deadly disease caused by the bite of dogs, cats and other animals. Around 300,000 people are affected by animal bites including dogs every year. The government has set a target of reducing the death rate from rabies to zero by 2030. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun said that when bitten by animals including dogs, treatment is often neglected. "They come to the hospital only between 4 and 7 months after being bitten by animals including dogs. TT vaccine is administered at the place where the rabies vaccine should be administered," he said. "The symptoms appear after the rabies reaches the stomach through the muscles."
