HARIPUR: The residents have complained about the unavailability of vaccines for snake and dog bites in government hospitals of Haripur city.

They insisted that when the people bitten by snakes or dogs went to hospitals for treatment, the doctors turned them away saying vaccines weren’t available.

Pesco lineman Mohammad Tariq told Dawn that his 12-year-old son, Haider Ali, was bitten by a stray dog, which, he believed, was rabid.

He said he took the son to the trauma centre, where the doctor on duty asked him to buy the vaccine from a private drugstore saying the hospital had been short of it for two years.

“I bought the vaccine from the market and got it administered to my son by the hospital staff,” he said.

The villagers complained that the incidence of snakebite was growing but they didn’t get vaccine against it in the government’s health centres.

They said they had to either go for home remedies or buy the vaccine from medial stores.

Social activist Raja Saadat Ali said more and more snake and dog bite cases were reported in the monsoon season but vaccines against them were not available in hospitals showing the low priority the government accorded to healthcare.

He complained that the elected members had turned a blind eye to the issue.

He called for the provision of DHQ hospital, Trauma Centre and all 30-plus BHUs in the district with a sufficient stock of anti-snake and anti-rabies vaccines.

SECURITY PLAN: Regional police officer of Hazara division Mohammad Ali Khan Babakhel on Friday ordered the devising of a foolproof security plan for Eidul Azha in Haripur district.

He was talking to DPO Dr Zahidullah Jan and SHOs of police stations in Haripur here on Friday.

The RPO said as bazaars and cattle markets would attract crowds of shoppers ahead of Eidul Azha, the police should heighten security to prevent untoward incidents.

He asked DPO and SHOs to take traders on board while preparing security plan.

Mr Babakhel also ordered snap checking and increase in market patrolling.

KILLED: An elderly man was run over and killed by a speeding van near Serae Saleh here on Friday morning.

Manzoorur Rehman of Mohallah Pathananwala fell off his motorcycle after a van hit it.

He was run over by another speeding van coming in from Abbottabad. He died on the way to a nearby hospital due to critical injuries.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2019