Anti-Rabbies vaccine in short supply in Bengal

Kolkata, Jun 27 (UNI) The West Bengal government today lodged a strong protest with the Centre for the "alarming short supply" of tissue culture anti-rabbies vaccine and anti-venom serum to state government hospitals, creating a desparate situation for hapless patients.

Charging the Union Health Ministry with being "totally indifferent" to the criris, state Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra issuing a letter to this effect alleged that even ten per cent of the total demand in state government hospital for these vaccines were not being met resulting in a huge demand-supply gap for the past several months.

Further elaborating he said following the development of a less expensive tissue culture anti-rabbies vaccine, the Union Government had drastically reduced the supply of the previously common nerve tissue vaccine for the same purpose.

But after sometime the supply of even the new vaccine was stopped totally creating a huge vaccum.

Though off late the supply of the tissue culture vaccine had restarted, compared to the overall demand it was minimal, Dr Mishra said and claimed that it could meet only about ten per cent of the total demand for such vaccine in the state.

Similar was the situation in case of the availability of anti-venom serum, required to treat snake bite cases, the Health Minister said and urged the Centre to take immediate steps and increase the supply in a steadfast manner to end the woo of the commoners, who could not affort to buy expensive imported vaccines.

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