Karnataka: Bitten by dog or animal? Don’t worry, Government will provide vaccine at free of cost

Karnataka has issued a directive to government hospitals, mandating the provision of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG). These vaccines will be administered, at no cost, to individuals who have suffered animal bites, regardless of their possession of an Above Poverty Line (APL) or Below Poverty Line (BPL) card.

In a circular released by the state's Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services, it was emphasized that timely and appropriate treatment can save lives, given the severity of rabies as a fatal disease.

This directive aligns with the National Rabies Control Program's (NRCP) mission to eliminate rabies transmitted through dog bites by the year 2030.

Rabies was officially declared a Notifiable Disease in Karnataka on December 5, 2022. To ensure adequate availability, the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd has included ARV and RIG as part of their annual supply, and all government hospitals are required to maintain sufficient stock.

The circular also explicitly states that no individual who has suffered an animal bite should be denied treatment based on their possession of an APL/BPL card. Consequently, it directs medical officers to provide ARV and RIG free of cost as needed for all animal bite victims. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of judiciously following NRCP recommendations in the use of RIG.

A recent systematic estimation survey conducted by the Bengaluru city civic body revealed a total of 2,79,335 stray dogs in the city, underscoring the importance of such measures to combat rabies.