In GMCH, dog-bitten patients at God’s mercy after evening

Anti-Rabies vaccine out of stock since long

JAMMU: In what could be termed as a mockery of patient care, the patients with dog bites are not treated at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), premier hospital of Jammu region, after evening hours.

Further adding to the woes, the Anti-Rabies vaccine in the hospital is also out of stock since past many months.

Sources informed that on an average around forty (40) dog bite cases are reported in the hospital on a daily basis and as per norms, the Anti-Rabies vaccine must be provided to the patients by the hospital itself.

However, due to non-availability of Anti-Rabies vaccine in the hospital, the patients are dependent on the market shops to get the vaccine, which many a time is not available in there also, sources said.

“The Anti-Rabies vaccine is out of stock in the hospital since months and therefore, the patients with dog bite have to purchase this vaccine from the market at much-2 higher price”, they said, adding, the vaccine is not readily available even in the market.

However, much surprising fact is the dog bite patients, whether minor or major bite, are not even
provided first-aid and Anti-Rabies vaccine in the emergency ward of the hospital after the evening.

Sources said that dog bite patients who come to the GMC in evening hours are told to come the next day as the Rabies Department of the hospital closes in the evening after 7 PM as the treatment is not available in the emergency ward of the hospital.

This not only risks the lives of patients but also puts the patients from far off areas to a lot of inconvenience.

A senior doctor said that any dog bite patient needs immediate vaccination and anti-rabies serum has to be administered locally in the body part where the dog has bitten so that rabies virus doesn’t advance.

He said that a dog bite patient is to be administered 5 anti-rabies vaccines in a period of one month since bite and any laxity in this period could prove to be fatal for the patient.