Govt hospitals out of anti-rabies vaccines, pvt stores sell them at inflated cost

DEHRADUN: Dehradun is reeling under a shortage of anti-rabies vaccines. While government hospitals seem to have completely run out of the injections, its stock is limited in private hospitals too. The CMO said the government had been notified of the shortage.
The crisis has been there in Doon for months. Vinay Kumar, whose 13-year-old son Sumit was bit by a dog on Wednesday, said “I took my son to Doon Hospital, Coronation Hospital and even to a nearby community health centre (CHC), but there was no anti-rabies vaccine available in any of the government hospitals.Private medical stores, where the vaccine was available in limited stock, were selling at an inflated price.”
All government hospitals have to provide the anti-rabies vaccine for free to patients. Supply of the vaccines ran out at the district hospital many months ago and is very limited at the Doon hospital.
Multiple factors have led to the sudden shortage, say officials from the health department. “The government has very poor rates for procurement of the medicine while its rates are very high in the market at present. Hence, no agency is ready to supply it to us at Rs 177 (the government rate), while the MRP of most vaccines are no less than Rs 350,” said a health department official on the condition of anonymity.Talking to TOI, chief medical officer (CMO) SK Gupta confirmed unavailability of the vaccines at government hospitals. “We have written a letter to the government to ensure procurement of the vaccine, especially before the arrival of monsoon,” he added.