Karachi, September 26, 2023 (PPI-OT): Rabies is the most neglected tropical disease not only in Pakistan but also all over low and middle-income countries (LMICs). If the bite is from an infected dog and remains untreated, rabies will develop and will definitely be fatal. A rabid dog may transmit the virus to humans and other animals, including livestock.
There have been major advancements in the methodology of post-exposure treatment, but the majority of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Pakistan are unaware of the correct method of treating victims after a dog bite. Dr. Naseem Salahuddin, Head of Dept of Infectious Disease at IHHN, states, “They usually blame their institutions for not providing enough vaccine and Rabies Immune globulin (RIG). Even if these were present, they either waste precious vaccine or inject inappropriately”.
World Rabies Day is being celebrated at Indus Hospital and Health Network, Korangi Karachi. The interim Sindh Minister of Health Dr. Saad Khalid Niaz was the chief guest. Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, President of IHHN welcomed the guests, appreciated the work done through the rabies center, and pledged wholehearted support for further work.
Dr. Naseem Salahuddin showed how IHHN has over decades served the people of Karachi with a modern, WHO-approved technique and course of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to over 12,000 patients this year alone, and saved them from the dreaded disease Rabies. In January 2018, IHHN started the ‘Rabies Free Pakistan’ program to vaccinate and surgically sterilize male and female dogs in the city. The pilot project ended in 2022 when the Local Government of Sindh took over to continue it on its own.
Mr. Aftab Gohar, Manager of the Rabies Prevention and Training Center at The Indus Hospital and Health Network said that they have imparted PEP training to dozens of HCPs in Karachi and rural Sindh through 3-day hands-on training at Indus so that more centers are able to manage dog bite victims correctly. This undertaking was done through an agreement with the Sindh Government Dept of Health. Most new centers that we established are up, running, and saving lives from Rabies. We will continue to train more and more HCWs and help set up more centers throughout the province, he said.
Chairman of the Board, IHHN, Mr. Abdul Karim Paracha, Chairman, Resource Generation Committee, Mr. Salim Razzak Tabani, Member of the Board, IHHN, Mr. Yahya Chawla and Executive Director, Communication and Resource Development Directorate, IHHN, Mr. Syed Mashhood Rizvi were also present at the occasion.
Dr. Saad Niaz greatly appreciated Indus’ humane public service, especially for rabies control, and offered his government’s support in every way possible. He distributed certificates to the trained HCPs, and hoped they would now be considered ‘master trainers’ for PEP. He expected that their rabies clinics would have soap and water for wound washing, maintain cleanliness, have proper working hours, and have adequate supplies of vaccines and RIG. He suggested that a Rabies Prevention Committee be formed to serve as an oversight body for the implementation of recommendations in new sites, surveillance, and data collection.
DG Health, the Director of Health Services Karachi, and medical superintendents of various hospitals attended the event.
For more information, contact
The Indus Hospital (TIH)
C-76, Sector 31/5, Opposite Darussalam Society,
Korangi Crossing, Karachi – 75190, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35112709-17
Fax: +92-21-35112718
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.indushospital.org.pk/