3 days ago
‘Child scratched by stray turned away by hosp due to lack of rabies vaccine'
New Delhi: Barely three days after the Supreme Court directed authorities to ensure immediate treatment for dog-bite victims and maintain adequate anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) stocks, a 22-month-old girl scratched on both thighs by a stray dog was allegedly turned away from the Delhi govt-run Dr Hedgewar Aarogya Sansthan on Thursday night due to unavailability of the vaccine.
The child's father, Munna Kumar, a resident of Radhey Shyam Park in Krishna Nagar, told TOI that earlier in the day, his daughter was playing outside her relative's home in Noida, near Sector 78, when a stray dog attacked her.
"She was scratched on both legs. We rushed to Hedgewar Hospital in Karkardooma around 9pm, but the doctors said they didn't have the vaccine and asked us to go to another hospital," he alleged.
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According to the outpatient casualty card, which was reviewed by TOI, the attending doctor recorded the case as "dog bite" Category II — which, under WHO guidelines, includes nibbling of uncovered skin, minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding.
The note further read: "Injection ARV N/A and refer to any govt hospital for ARV inj."
Kumar said they then rushed to Delhi govt-run Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where staff told them to return in the morning. "It was already late at night, and we were worried about delaying the treatment, but they said the vaccine would be given only the next day," he said.
The child was finally administered the first dose of ARV at GTB Hospital on Friday morning — nearly half a day after the attack — and her father was asked to return on Aug 18 for the second dose.
According to a senior official of Hedgewar Hospital, "The demand was raised almost three months ago with the central procurement agency, and we are still waiting for the supply. We are expecting it next week."
When contacted, a senior GTB Hospital official said they were unaware of the matter but would look into why the vaccine was not administered at night, adding that anti-rabies vaccines are available round-the-clock.
In its Aug 11 order, SC had emphasised that civic agencies must capture and house stray dogs in shelters within 6-8 weeks, sterilise and vaccinate them, and — most crucially — ensure bite victims receive "immediate treatment". The court also directed that vaccine availability data be made public and helplines be created for bite cases.
Thursday's incident highlights the gap between the apex court's directives and ground realities. The lack of ARV at Hedgewar Hospital, forcing the child's family to travel to another facility to get the lifesaving injection, underscores the urgent need for real-time stock monitoring across all hospitals.
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