Bilal Ahmad

SDH Sopore runs short of anti-rabies vaccine, patients suffer

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Sopore: Scores of dog bite patients in and around Sopore are suffering during these testing times as the government run Sub District Hospital (SDH) at Sopore is facing an acute shortage of anti-rabies vaccine since the past one month and the victims of dog bites are forced to buy it from the open market that too on high prices.
“We have visited the hospital many times for anti-rabies vaccine but the authorities at hospital refused to help us by saying that the stock has dried up since the past one month due to the lockdown situation,” said a group of victims.
“I am a daily wage labourer, after a day’s work I hardly earn 300 to 400 Rupees. Even from the past more than a month I am jobless and in such a situation how can I afford 1600 rupees for these vaccines,” Mohamad Iqbal, a victim of a dog bite said.
He said that, he had visited both district hospital Baramulla and Sub district hospital Sopore after he suffered a dog bite but anti- rabies injections were not available anywhere.
“The vaccines are not even easily available in the market. This is alarming situation during this pandemic but the officials seem least bothered about it,” he added.
“We are running short of anti rabies vaccine since the past several weeks now,” said an employee of the health department. He said that in peripheries also, anti-rabies vaccines are not available thereby creating problems for the patients.
Meanwhile BMO Sopore, Dr. Asif khanday, when contacted said that the hospital has faced shortage of anti-rabies vaccine for a month now due to prevailing lockdown situation.
“Even the private stockists are not able to get the supply. We would have even purchased the vaccine from the open market, but it is not available,” he added.


Bilal Ahmad

Bilal Ahmad is a reporter and covers city beat and sports, can be contacted [email protected].

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *