MYTHS ABOUT RABIES: This is with referece to the editorial ‘Rabies danger’ (Dec 20), which stated that 22 people have died from rabies in Sindh alone this year. Rabies is 100 per cent fatal, and believing that it is curable once symptoms appear is wrong. Even minor scratches or licks and bites can cause rabies. Home remedies do not offer any treatment. But washing the bitten area immediately with soap is the first and very important step in its management. Furthermore, post-exposure prophylaxis involves 4-5 injections in the arm, not 10 injections in the abdomen, along with the application of immunoglobulins in severe cases.

Dr Faheemullah Shaikh
Larkana

MORE BUSES: The buses operating under the People’s Bus Service are far from sufficient for a city as populated as Karachi. Many major roads remain broken because of the ongoing or poorly executed reconstruction work. These damaged roads have made daily commute a nightmare. Moreover, illegal rickshaws further block the already narrow and damaged lanes. Despite repeated promises of improvement, little progress has been made. Karachi’s infrastructure is crumbling under unfinished projects, open manholes and poor-quality bitumen work. The government should accelerate the completion of these projects, ensure quality construction, and increase the number of operational public buses.

Erum Fatima
Karachi

OPEN MANHOLES: Recently, a seven-year-old girl fell into a manhole in Larkana’s Ayub Colony, near the city mayor’s residence. Another tragedy struck in Karachi. These incidents show the local administration’s neglect and disregard towards their respective jurisdictions. Almost all sewers are open in Larkana, and civic management is simply absent. It is the local administration’s duty to take care of such issues. The provincial government should look into the matter at the earliest and take the negligent parties to task.

Mir Babar Ali Khuhawar
Larkana

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2026