MULTAN, Sept 30: A woman bitten by a mad dog bit 14 others, including 11 of her family members, before succumbing to the rabies as she was denied treatment even at a major health facility of south Punjab that was out of the vital vaccine.

Victim’s brother Muhammad Shafi said Razia Akhtar, a resident of Chak R8-21, was bitten by a dog suffering from rabies some two months back. She was shifted to Tulamba Rural Health Centre where the on-duty doctor suggested the family to shift the patient to Mian Channu Tehsil Headquarters Hospital as the RHC had no anti-rabies vaccine, he said.

He said he took his sister to Mian Channu THQ but the hospital too was out of the vaccine and she was referred to Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

Shafi said his hopes of Razia’s treatment dashed when doctors at Nishtar Hospital, the major health facility in south Punjab, asked him to bring the patient again “after a few days” as the facility was also without the vaccine.

He said he brought Razia back to the village where she started biting those who handled her. He said Razia bit 14 people, including her sisters Shakrana Bibi, Sakina Bibi, Manzooran Bibi and Naseem Akhtar, nephews Muhammad Tahir and Saifullah, her mother Rahmat Bibi, three brothers Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Rafiq, besides three neighbours, before she died.

Shafi said what was worrying him was that his sister, Shakrana Bibi, was now showing signs of the horrible disease and had started biting others.

He appealed to the health authorities concerned to help his family members by arranging the vaccine to avert more deaths.