Anti-rabies vaccine not available anywhere in the interior of Sindh
KARACHI: Eight-year-old Rizwan from Shikarpur was the fifth child to die in Karachi as a result of a dog-bite this year, as anti-rabies vaccine is not available anywhere in the interior of Sindh.
Dr Naseem Salahuddin, Pakistan’s eminent Infectious Diseases specialist, confirms that a full course of vaccine, including RIG in severe cases, costs Rs1,200 which means that Rs5 million was all we needed to provide protection to some 4,000 cases of dog-bite.
The Child Protection Department, responsible for protecting the children of Sindh, received a budget of Rs5 million some two years back. In one single day, the entire amount was blown up by the department in buying nine luxury cars for its inept officials and furniture for its invisible offices.
It is true that the government indulged in neglect and callousness. But what is even more disturbing and unfortunate is the role of the elite and the self-centred segment of our society. It chose to remain silent. It behaved as if it had nothing to do with the dog-bites, the dying children, the misappropriated vehicles or the budget laundering.
The government is not likely to awaken by itself. The disproportionately privileged section of our society, whose own children are well protected, ought to raise its voice and push the government for reforms. Till then the dogs shall continue to bite and the children of Pakistan shall continue to die for lack of anti-rabies vaccine.
Naeem Sadiq
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2019.
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