The New Indian Express reports that Delhi is reporting that there is a shortage of rabies vaccine in government hospitals.
This shortage is due to vaccine supplies, promoting health officials and hospitals to call a meeting.
“The shortage of rabies vaccines at city government-run hospitals has led to patients thronging anti-rabies clinics at Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital and RML Hospital,” a senior health ministry official.
There are 59,000 deaths from rabies each year around the world, in which India accounting for some 20,000 deaths annually. The number of street dogs increased so the demand for the rabies vaccine increased.
The Delhi government has been asked to procure rabies vaccines from the Hyderabad-based facility, India Immunologicals Limited at a rate Rs 180 per vial which is decided by the Centre.
They have some of their tenders to finalize, which may hopefully ease out the situation. The Delhi government require 30,000 vials of ARVs per month, which amounts to nearly one lakh vials in one quarter, officials said.
Rabies is an acute viral infection that is transmitted to human usually through saliva from a bite of dogs or infected animal.