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| Sunday, 12 September 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Rabies on the rise by Chamitha Kuruppu While most State hospitals complain they still face a shortage of anti-rabies vaccinations, the outbreak of rabies in Kandy, Colombo and other areas is on the increase. Kandy reported the highest outbreak of rabies receiving between 50-60 patients daily over the last week and the National Hospital, Colombo treating over 250 patients a week. A spokesman for the Kandy General Hospital told the Sunday Observer that the hospital received just 260 vials, which is likely to finish in a week, since 50-60 patients come seeking the anti rabies vaccine daily. The spokesman further said that due to inadequate stocks the hospital was compelled to request patients to buy anti-rabies drugs from outside last week. An official attached to the National Hospital, Colombo said that over 1000 patients were treated during last month for rabies and the outbreak is on an upward trend. Apart from Colombo patients, a large number of people come to the hospital from Avissawella, Homagama and Anuradhapura for anti rabies vaccine, the officer said. He charged that the non availability of drugs in the hospital was mainly due to poor administration and negligence on the part of the outstation hospitals. "Because of this, outstation hospitals often run out of stocks and their patients are sent to the National Hospital to order more than its quota," he said adding that these hospitals do not order expensive drugs from the MSD, and instead order other inexpensive drugs in their drug quota. "The best example is the anti-rabies vaccine which is a costly drug which is not available in most of the outstation hospitals," he said. Sources at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital at Ragama said that between 35-45 patients come to the hospital daily for anti-rabies drugs, which is an increase from the 25-30 patients treated for anti-rabies a couple of months ago. Moneragala Base Hospital sources said that due to the large number seeking anti-Rabies vaccine their stocks were exhausted early and patients had to buy the vaccine from outside. However, new stocks have now arrived, the same sources said. |
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