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Over 21,800 sought anti rabies treatment last year
More than 21,800 people had sought treatment against rabies at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital in the past year.
Hospital Director Dr Asela Gunawardena, told the Sunday Times that 21,820 persons had been given the anti rabies vaccine following incidents of dog bites, and scratches by cats in 2019.
He said the number of anti rabies injections administered to patients differed according to the place of the injury, the bite and the condition of the wound.
Dr Gunawardena pointed out some patients were administered a series of six injections, for which government spent over Rs 4,000.
He added that doctors had to use immunoglobuilin injections on a patient, if an animal which attacked the victim died following the attack. He added immunoglobuilin vaccines were much more expansive than the anti rabies vaccines.
Explaining further Dr Gunawardena said there are two varieties of anti rabies vaccines. He said government spends around Rs 18,000 to provide Equine Immunoglobulin vaccine (ERIG) per patient who have allergic reactions to the vaccine.