Release funds for rabies vaccine, SHRC tells state

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 7

Taking a serious note of the unavailability of anti-rabies vaccines in the associated hospitals of Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the administration to release the required funds to all hospitals for the purpose.

The commission issued the directions on Thursday following a report by the head of department, social and preventive medicine, GMC, in which it was revealed that there was no budgetary allocation in the year 2018-19 to buy the vaccines.

The commission was hearing a suo motu petition about the irregular supply of anti-rabies vaccines at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital associated with the GMC.

In the report, it has been submitted that though Rs 20 lakh were released to buy vaccines by the authorities in 2017-18, no funds have been released for the year 2018-19 till date.

“It is a well-known fact that Srinagar city is perhaps having the largest canine population but the authorities concerned are not taking any steps to stop the menace. People suffer dog bites almost on a daily basis but the state has not released any funds to the hospitals for vaccination for 2018-19,” the commission observed in its orders while taking a serious note of unavailability of funds in hospitals.

It has further directed the state to file a response on the next hearing with directions to the Chief Secretary to release funds not only to the GMC but to all other hospitals in the state facing shortage or irregular supply of vital anti-rabies vaccines.