Most govt hospitals in Bengaluru out of rabies shots

Some big government hospitals in Bengaluru have run out of anti-rabies injections.

Metrolife did a reality check and found that only one —Victoria Hospital Bangalore — had the life-saving shot in stock.

ESI Hospital and BMCRI Super Speciality Hospital said they did not have the injections. The latter directed us to Victoria.

Anti-rabies shots at Victoria Hospital are given free of cost. When Metrolife visited the anti-rabies ward at Victoria, the staff was responding quickly to a patient who had suffered a dog bite.

K C General Hospital, and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital did not take our calls. The phone number of Jayanagar General Hospital listed online was invalid.

Indira Kabade, medical superintendent at K C General Hospital, said the shots were available at the hospital when this journalist contacted her on her cellphone. It costs Rs 100 and is free for BPL card holders.

Dr Manjunath Shinde, assistant director, animal husbandry, BBMP, said, “Hyper immune serum or Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG), usually given for third-degree dog bites, is available at BBMP referral hospitals.” The Srirampura Referral Hospital, which we called subsequently, said rabies shots were given from 9 am to 4 pm. The Magadi Road Maternity Home has anti-rabies vaccines in stock, said Dr Radha G, hospital in-charge. The anti-rabies serum, required for third-degree bites, is currently unavailable at this hospital, she said. The other public health centres we called did not answer. Some numbers listed online were out of service.

Private hospitals
Two Apollo hospitals we called said anti-rabies shots were available 24/7. They are priced at Rs 350 at Seshadripuram and Rs 400 at Koramangala. In Vydehi Super Speciality Hospital, Ashok Nagar, rabies shots are available round the clock, and cost Rs 397. Fortis (Cunningham Road) said it was out of rabies injections.