Sindh Rabies Cases Once Again on the Rise
by Hamna Bano
SHARES
With a number of health challenges crying for attention, one of the public health challenges is the rise of rabies in Pakistan. According to the recent reports and articles authored by experts at Karachi-based Indus Hospital, a total of 129 patients died from rabies in Sindh between 2009 and 2019.
This study revealed the disturbing reality of the state of rabies in the country and its prevention. It also emphasized healthcare in general in Sindh province.
𝐑𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬!
Rising cases of rabies in Sindh alarm health authorities and citizens.
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.#rabies #health #Sindh #TrendingNow #BreakingNews #dogbite #HealthwireNews
— Healthwire News (@HealthwireNews) March 27, 2023
The reported deaths mentioned are on the basis of data collected by Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Hospital and Indus Hospital. The data from other Sindh Hospitals was not added to this, if it were the number would have been way more than this.
The Sindh Health Minister said in the Provincial Assembly in December 2022 that “in the first 10 months of that year alone, thousands of dog-bite cases had been reported in the province.”
The study on the other hand points out that most people are not aware of how to treat a dog-bite wound. If not treated effectively, a bite from a rabid animal can prove 100 percent fatal.
Most of the cases involved young adults and children and most of them did not receive complete treatment and vaccination. The study also exposes the condition of public healthcare in Sindh, pointing out that most health facilities do not follow protocols to prevent rabies. With that, rabies vaccines are not available at medical facilities where victims profiled by the study initially reported.
In other news, the most shocking part here is that in almost 60 percent of the cases, patients had to travel to Karachi for their treatment, and in other instances, people had to travel even 550 km from Northern Sindh to the port city.
So, it is necessary to arrange programs to vaccinate and sterilize dogs in order to reduce the stray canine population. With proper guidance on how to treat a dog bite wound and on when to take medical help, a lot can be improved.
