SURAT - A harrowing incident unfolded in Surat as a young girl lost her life due to an incomplete course of rabies vaccination following a stray dog bite six months ago. This tragic event has prompted an immediate response from over 30 members of her family who rushed to the civil hospital for anti-rabies injections.
18-year-old Jyoti, a resident near Surat's Rander Mora Bhagal vegetable market, was admitted to the local civil hospital a few days ago due to rapidly declining health and erratic behaviour. Upon medical examination, she was diagnosed with rabies. Despite the severity of her condition, the family chose to take her home against medical advice. Jyoti tragically passed away the following morning.
Following the dog bite incident six months prior, Jyoti did not receive the full course of the anti-rabies vaccine. After her condition worsened, the family prematurely ended her hospital treatment, which ultimately led to her untimely demise.
On learning about this distressing incident, the municipal corporation dispatched a team to Jyoti's residence. All family members who had been in contact with Jyoti were urged to receive anti-rabies injections as a necessary precautionary measure.
Responding to the municipal corporation's advice, more than 30 relatives, including children, turned up at the civil hospital to receive the anti-rabies injection, causing a stir amongst the crowd gathered there.
Kanchanban, a family member, shared their grief and confusion, "Our 18-year-old daughter died because she was short of two doses of the rabies vaccine. We didn't know that something like this had happened to her." The family is now ensuring that all their members, especially the younger ones, are receiving the necessary anti-rabies injections.
In light of this tragic incident, Ganesh Govekar, the Superintendent of Surat Civil Hospital, emphasized the crucial need for a full course of anti-rabies vaccination following a dog bite. He explained, "Five doses of the anti-rabies injection are necessary after a dog bite. Without these doses, incidents like this can occur." The family members are currently receiving their anti-rabies injections as a preventive measure against potential rabies infection.
