Govt asked to ensure rabies vaccine

MANSEHRA: People of Darband and its adjoining areas have demanded the provincial government to ensure availability of rabies vaccine at public sector health facilities in Oghi tehsil. “The dog biting cases are on the rise in Oghi, Darband and adjoining areas and victims have no option but to spend huge money on getting vaccinated from private clinics and stores,” stated Khalid Iqbal, a local resident. A group of locals, led by Iqbal, told reporters that dozens of people, mostly children and women, were bitten by stray dogs but rabies vaccine was not available at local hospital. He said that locals had also met high-ups of Health Department and local lawmakers, demanding an immediate release of rabies vaccine at public sector hospitals but to no avail. He said that over two dozen people, mostly children and women, were bitten by dogs in recent weeks and mostly treated at private sector hospitals and medical stores. Meanwhile, the Oghi tehsil municipal administration has issued notices to dozens of houses for throwing sewerage lines in streams and polluting water supply schemes. The notices, issued in the city and its suburbs, gave one-week deadline for the removal of sewerage lines from streams otherwise a crackdown would be started against them.