Rabies vaccine shortage in Baitadi forces patients to seek treatment outside district

Baitadi: A shortage of rabies vaccine in Baitadi district has left patients facing significant difficulties, with many forced to seek treatment outside the district.

According to Harish Pant, Information Officer at the District Hospital, the vaccine has been unavailable at the hospital for the past three weeks. "There has been a shortage of rabies vaccine here for the past three weeks. We have already informed the Provincial Supply Center about the shortage of vaccine," he said. Despite notifying the Provincial Supply Center, the vaccine has not yet been supplied.

Rabies vaccines are typically administered at three locations in the district: the District Hospital at the headquarters, Patan Primary Health Center, and Kesharpur Primary Health Center. However, the recent shortage at both the hospital and the health centers has left animal bite victims with no choice but to travel outside Baitadi for vaccination.

A person bitten by an animal requires three doses of the rabies vaccine. Due to the ongoing shortage, health facilities have been unable to administer the necessary doses, turning away patients in need.

Rabies, a viral disease primarily affecting animals, can be transmitted to humans through bites from infected animals such as dogs, cats, foxes, and wolves. The virus is present in the saliva of infected animals and can also infect humans through contact with the eyes, mouth, or open wounds.

Symptoms of rabies in humans include fever, chills, intense pain at the bite site, fear of water and air, irritability, and aggression. The disease can also cause severe complications such as difficulty swallowing, respiratory issues, nervous system damage, and ultimately, heart failure and death if left untreated.