Lumbini Province faces shortage of rabies vaccines

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, Dec. 11: Lumbini Province is currently facing a shortage of rabies vaccines. Due to a lack of stock at the Lumbini Province Health Supply Centre in Butwal, vaccines have not been distributed to hospitals and primary health centres across all 12 districts of the province.

 The government typically provides rabies vaccines to 40 health institutions, including the health supply centres, with a specific quota determined by the Lumbini Province Health Supply Centre. However, this distribution has been halted due to the shortage.

Hari Acharya from the Vaccination Branch of the Lumbini Province Health Supply Centre explained that despite significant demand for the vaccine, they have been unable to supply it as there is no stock. “The Ministry of Health is responsible for the nationwide procurement of vaccines. However, because the stock is unavailable here, we have not been able to distribute it to the districts,” he said.

The province has been requesting additional vaccines since August. According to Acharya, the Communicable Disease Control Division at the Ministry of Health provided only 1,160 vials of anti-rabies vaccine to Lumbini Province last year. The province used part of this stock, including 12,125 vials from last year, until the first week of November, but no further distributions have been made since then.

Each year, Lumbini Province requires 69,240 vials of the vaccine, at a rate of 5,770 vials per month for the 40 health locations. Due to the shortage of government facilities, many people have been forced to seek the vaccine at private health institutions, where the cost is significantly higher. The vaccine, which requires up to three doses after a dog or animal bite, can cost at least Rs. 2,500 in private clinics. Although the vaccine is supposed to be provided free of charge by government health institutions, many private clinics do not have it in stock.

Pramod Gyawali, the operator of Sizzle Pharmacy in Prabhatpath, Siddharthanagar Municipality-9, noted that a large number of people have been coming in to get vaccinated against rabies, claiming they were bitten by a dog.

Dr. Yaduchandra Ghimire, Director at the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division, explained that the vaccine stock provided last year was depleted before new vaccines could be procured. He added that many individuals who did not need the vaccine took more than necessary, which resulted in rapid depletion of the stock.

Dog bite incidents have been rising recently. Veterinarians explain that dogs often become more aggressive during the time of giving birth to puppies, leading to an increase in bites. Some people, even without direct contact with rabid dogs, choose to get vaccinated to avoid the risk.

Dr. Ghimire assured that efforts are underway to provide the required quantity of vaccine as soon as possible. He also mentioned that the allocation for purchasing the anti-rabies vaccine last year exceeded Rs. 130 million, and this year the budget has been doubled due to higher consumption.

Bhim Hospital in Bhairahawa, which has been a key provider of rabies vaccines, is also facing challenges due to the shortage.