Karnataka - Bangalore   

Hitch over money dogs BBMP’s IDRV plan

Bangalore: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is yet to start intra-dermal rabies vaccination (IDRV) in its hospitals and health centres despite a recommendation made to this effect by the committee that did a performance audit of the Animal Birth Control programme in Bangalore and submitted a report in May.

The reason: the BBMP owes money to the Human Biological Institute, Hyderabad, one of the centres in the country manufacturing the modern anti-rabies vaccine. Intra-dermal administration of anti-rabies vaccines to dog bite victims means that the vaccine is injected under the skin of the patient.

Many experts and medical professionals have been promoting this route of injection because the amount of vaccine used for a patient in this kind of administration is just a fifth of the amount used in the conventional route, considerably reducing costs. IDRV has been initiated in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh and has been approved by the World Health Organisation and the Drug Controller General of India. After eight-year-old Sridevi was mauled by a pack of dogs in January, the BBMP commissioned an audit of the Animal Birth Control programme. The audit report strongly recommended IDRV as it would help poor patients who come to BBMP hospitals and health centres for treatment.

According to sources, the civic body had placed an order for intra-dermal anti-rabies vaccines with the Human Biological Institute earlier this year. But as the BBMP had not paid dues of Rs. 2.5 lakh to the institute, it had not released the vials of the vaccine. When contacted, B.V. Kulkarni, Joint Commissioner (Health), BBMP, said, “We have placed an order for the vaccine with the institute and are awaiting the supply from them. Once it comes we will start IDRV.” But he admitted that the civic body owed money to the institute.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Seven held for mobile tower scam
Marathas want Category 2A tag
‘Government doing well’
‘Parliament is supreme’
Assumes charge
Centre’s assistance sought for upgrading infrastructure
Want to study in New Zealand
Hitch over money dogs BBMP’s IDRV plan
Helpline to prevent suicide in the offing
Youth Congress to stage demonstration
Appointed office-bearers of JD (S) faction
Short story contest
‘Narco analysis is interrogation under the influence of drugs’
BJP meetings
Protest against easy availability of acid
Quality in higher education is essential: Shankarmurthy
Cultural competition
‘The Second Sex’ in Kannada
Youths assault waiter Crime notes
‘Gowda using internal reservation bogey’
Medha Patkar wants ‘empowerment zones’
Education provides hope: Tharoor

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu