Dog bites: Residents protest vaccine shortage

Hospital had refused to admit three persons due to the unavailability of the vaccine.

BATTAGRAM: Residents of Allai tehsil in Battagram demonstrated against the unavailability of rabies vaccine in the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital on Wednesday. According to details, a protest was staged outside the hospital after the hospital administration refused to admit three persons, who had been bitten by a stray dog, due to the unavailability of the vaccine. A stray dog had bitten Basharat, Ali Akbar and Adnan on Tuesday when they were working in their fields. Dr Sarbuland Khan said the hospital has been without vaccines for the last year and despite several requests, the vaccines were not provided to the hospital. The residents of the area have been complaining of an increase in the population of stray dogs for a long time, according to Saifullah, a local, who added that the district government is ignoring their plight.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2013.