All hospitals in Kerala where anti-rabies vaccination can be administered would be made model anti-rabies clinics in phases, Health Minister Veena George has said. She was inaugurating the World Rabies Day observance here on Wednesday.
In the first phase, model anti-rabies clinics will function in district, general and medical college hospitals in the State. The aim of these clinics will be to provide treatment for animal bites according to a universal rabies management protocol, something that had been sorely lacking in the State.
Those who reach the clinics following animal bites would be counselled so as to allay their anxiety.
There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of animal bites reported in the State this year. Till August, 1,96,616 cases of animal bites were reported in the State. Even though Kerala reports the lowest number of rabies deaths in the country, the effort is to bring down human deaths due to rabies to zero, the Minister said.
This is possible only through the joint effort of all departments as well as through awareness generation among the public on the importance of proper wound management without delay in the event of an animal bite, said Ms. George.
About 573 government hospitals have facilities for providing anti-rabies vaccine, while 43 hospitals have rabies immunoglobulin serum stocks.
The Minister appealed to all students to take the message of proper rabies prevention to all families.
Minister for Transport Antony Raju presided. Senior Health department officials were among those present.
