Sindh saw 92,000 cases of dog bite in the first six months of 2019 only
The number of cases rose to 122,000 by the end of August, while the health emergency continues.
As Sindh Health Department fails to tackle the issue in an effective manner and provide vaccinations, the dog bite cases are on the rise in the port city of Karachi in particular. However, what’s more alarming is that the crisis isn’t new. In the year 2018 alone, Karachi saw 18,000 cases of dog bites, while the health authorities remained inert.
For the year 2018, The Sindh largest tertiary hospital, called the Civil Hospital Karachi, recorded 10,288 rabies cases which were vaccinated, while 7,697 such cases were also vaccinated at JPMC in the last year.
What is rabies?
Rabies is a preventable disease transmitted to humans through the bites of infected animals. However, for the case of Pakistan, 99% of these cases are caused by the dog bites.
Generally, children and elderly people become victims to these stray, infected dogs. In Karachi, most cases are reported from slums areas of Ibrahim Hyderi, Surjani, North Karachi, New Karachi, Baldia, Orangi, Keamari, Mehmoodabad, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area and Golimar.
With failing to launch a comprehensive campaign against stray dogs, the Sindh Health Department does not even have vaccinations available.
92,000 cases in Sindh till June 2019:
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho previously informed the provincial legislature that over 92,000 cases of dog bite had been reported across Sindh.
92,159 cases of dog bites had been reported from across the province in the first six months of 2019, but the hospitals only had 6,029 vials of the vaccine in stock.
“The Chinese company from where we would purchase this vaccine has been closed down because rabies had been eradicated in China. In India, we cannot get this vaccine at present because of serious constraints over Kashmir issue,” the minister reasoned.
According to the most recent reports, the number of cases rose to 122,000 by the end of August, while the health emergency continues.
What are your views on this? Share with us in the comments bar below.
