Rabies vaccine shortage puts Kupwara district on brink of crisis

Hospital officials blame higher authorities

Hospital officials blame higher authorities

Kupwara, Jul 08 (KNS): Government hospitals in Kupwara district are facing acute shortage of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV), due to which common people suffer; government officials blame higher authorities for not supplying appropriate stock.

While talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Block Medical Officer Kupwara Dr Zafar Ah said that government hospitals are acute short of anti-rabies vaccines due to poor supply of stock. He said in recent time the dog bitten cases have increased, but the supply of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) is not enough as per requirement.

“The government hospitals are running acute shortage of ARVs, because of poor supply, though we have requested higher authorities but nothing happen,” Dr Zafar said, adding that, “dog bite cases have increased in recent times, but government authorities at higher level are not doing enough to meet the demand and at lower level we have to face the public anger.”

On this grim situation when our district correspondent Firdous Kirmani talked with Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Anshul Garg he accepted that there is shortage of ARVs in district and said that he has already conveyed Principal Secretary about this problem.
“Actually there is valley wide shortage of anti-rabies vaccines, but I have already conveyed to Principal Secretary regarding the situation and we are monitoring it,” DC Kupwara Anshul Garg said.

It is pertinent mention here that Kupwara is a north Kashmir’s border area district having road distance of above 100 kms away from summer capital Srinagar. While facing other hardships people from this area are forced to move towards Srinagar for common health problems as the district lacks any basic full-fledged government or private health center.

People from this area have appealed Governor to visit this forgotten area and took the stock of situation. (KNS) 

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