11-year-old dies of rabies, shortage of vaccine

F.P. Report

KARACHI: An 11-year-old child died at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), with an exposure to rabies after being bitten by dog.

Lal Bux, a child brought to Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital last night from Sanghar, was bitten by a dog three months ago.

Dr. Seemi Jamali of JPMC, confirming the death by rabies on Wednesday said the child carried by his parents to the hospital as his condition deteriorated after the dog bite incident.

“The parents confirmed that the boy was never vaccinated against rabies,” she said apprehending that there is every possibility that Lal Bux may have also not been provided with immediate and essential medical relief.

It has been sixth death by rabies this year.

The anti-rabies vaccine has been unavailable in interior of Sindh. The vaccine though available in Karachi but the city also have shortage of the medicine, sources said.

As for availability of anti rabies vaccines in the hospitals of the province concerned, a senior doctor said this comes low in the priorities of the managers associated with government as well as private sector medical facilities.

“Victims of rabies are mainly from lower income sections who can ill afford cost of the vaccines and also hold little influence in the right quarters,” said the doctor.