‘Rabies vaccine not available in Khost Hospitals from past 2-year’

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Public Health Department in eastern Khost province has no rabies vaccine from the past two years while at least 300 people monthly suffer from rabies infected dogs bites in the province.

According to the local residents, when someone suffers from dog bite he or she has to purchase the vaccine from private clinic. Some people are not economically sound to purchase the vaccine.

Naqibullah, 10, the resident of Sabari Yaqoubi district, said one month earlier he suffered from rabies infected bites in his village.

His uncle Abdul Qayyoum said there was no vaccine in central and district hospitals and he was forced to purchase it at a private clinic.

He said: “Soon after the dog bite we transferred the child for treatment to a clinic, then we referred to the civil hospital for vaccine but there was no vaccine then we referred back to the private clinic for vaccination.”

Mohibullah, another Khost resident, said in current situation when people are struggling with economic problems they are unable to buy vaccine.

He asked the public health ministry to address the non-availability of vaccine.

“In the past the rabies vaccine was available here but currently it is not available, the economic condition of people is not good so they have to purchase it privately,” he said.

Abdul Rahman Zahid, deputy head of the Public Health Department, said they are without rabies vaccine from the past two years.

He said in the past the World Health Organisation provided the rabies vaccine regularly but after the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) takeover this cooperation had stopped.

“We register 300 dog bite cases monthly and urged NGOs for support in the provision of vaccine,” he said.

Zahid acknowledged the rate of rabies vaccine in private clinics was high and some people could not purchase it.

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