MUZAFFARGARH: A rabies clinic has started working at the Recepe Tayyab Erdogan Indus Hospital, Muzaffargarh.

The clinic will be open 24 hours a day, the hospital administration says.

Dog bite vaccine and other treatment will be provided free of cost to patient, Dr Muhammed Irfan said, adding that in and around Muzaffargarh, there are reports of dog bites and the death of most of them ever day.

“People living in villages do not take dog bites seriously and use household tips, which can cause serious harm to the infected person,” he said. He said the clinic will soon start treatment for bites of all predatory animals.

“If the dog bites, immediately wash the wound thoroughly with some soap and after contacting the clinic administration, bring the affected person to the hospital immediately so that he can be treated in time,” he said.

Operations head Waqar Ahmed said that the Indus Hospital will soon start an awareness drive about rabies and make Pakistan rabies-free. Faculty head Dr Shiraz Hassan Bhutta, and emergency in charge Dr Asif Yaseen were also present.

Dawn learnt about 600 people are affected by dog bites every month and they have to buy anti-rabies vaccine privately as BHUs and RHCs lack the vaccine.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2022