A doctor says patients are sometimes directed to another UPHC to prevent wastage as one vial has dosage for four to five patients, and should be given in four hours.
| Photo Credit: File photo
While dog bites are a growing public health concern, treatment gaps remain at Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) in Chennai.
There is limited awareness among the public about the availability of Anti-Rabies Vaccines (ARVs) at these facilities.
While some UPHCs do refer patients to other centres to prevent vaccine wastage at times, patients requiring Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) are referred to nearest government tertiary care centres as UPHCs are not supplied with RIG.
A few residents said they were unaware that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) provided ARVs at its UPHCs and Urban Community Health Centres (UCHCs).
Shruthi Sathish, a resident of Ekkatuthangal, whose mother was recently bitten by a pet dog, said her family availed treatment at a private facility as they were not aware that the GCC offered the vaccination service.
S. Vishanth of the Ennore Solidarity Group said many residents did not know that ARV for dog bites was available at UPHCs and UCHCs.
He added that, on several occasions, medical officers were not present at the centres, and the affected persons were taken to government or private hospitals for emergency care. He said boards or notifications outside GCC centres would help inform the public of the service.
Officials in the GCC stated that the ARVs are available in all 143 UPHCs and 16 UCHCs across all the zones. More than 10,000 doses had been administered in the past 10 months. Each centre had an average stock of 15 vials, with quantities ranging from six to 36 depending on demand, according to the Corporation’s zonal pharmacists.
UPHCs received vials directly from the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation, while zonal pharmacists procured additional supplies from the Medical Services Department through the GCC headquarters for distribution among centres.
‘To prevent wastage’
“Sometimes, patients are told to go to a particular/nearby UPHC to prevent wastage as one vial has dosage for four to five patients, and should be given in four hours. If the time is exceeded, the entire vial will be wasted. RIG is mostly available in tertiary care centres,” a doctor said.
A senior official in the GCC Public Health Department said dog bites required immediate treatment and wastage was disregarded to ensure patients received the vaccine. Around five to six vials per centre were wasted daily, he said.
However, Chennai’s UPHCs, unlike many centres in other parts of the State, do not have RIG, and patients are referred to the nearest government tertiary care centre for administration. RIG should be administered for category III exposures (transdermal bites or scratches, licks on broken skin). The official added that RIG, which could cause adverse reactions, was administered only at higher centres.
At the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, the inflow for treatment of dog bites remains more or less the same every month. S. Chandrasekar, professor and head, Department of Medicine, said every month, 1,300 to 1,500 doses of ARV are administered. All government tertiary care centres are fully equipped with ARV and RIG.
“We are now observing increased awareness among people about seeking treatment for dog bites. People are now seeking treatment and vaccination even for bites from domesticated dogs – something that was not common in the past. In fact, some individuals even come several days after being bitten by dogs concerned about having missed the initial dose and still seek treatment. This clearly indicates improved awareness,” he said.
A senior doctor in a private hospital said human rabies immunoglobulin was expensive in private hospitals. “The dosage is calculated based on the patient’s body weight. The cost is around ₹2,000 for one vial. For a patient weighing 60 kg, a minimum of three vials is needed. Recently, many private hospitals were administering rabies monoclonal antibodies which are comparatively cheaper,” he said.
(With inputs from Serena Josephine M.)
Published – October 12, 2025 05:42 am IST
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