Vaccine crisis in Lumbini province drives dog bite victims to Indian hospitals

Federal government supplies anti-rabies vaccines for free, but last year only 1,160 vials of the vaccine were sent to Lumbini, while the demand exceeds 69,000.

A stray dog bit Ramlakhan Kewat, a resident of ward 4 of Marchawari Rural Municipality in Rupandehi district, while he was walking down a street last week. He rushed to Rayapur primary health centre, hoping to get an anti-rabies vaccine, only to find that the vaccine was out of stock. He then hurried to Bhairahawa-based Bhim Hospital, but was turned away there too, as they too had no vaccines.