Sion Hospital accepts only local dog bite victims

In violation of rules for civic-run hospitals, Sion Hospital has, since Sunday, stopped treating dog bite patients from eastern suburbs citing shortage of vaccination stock.

Doctors at Sion Hospital said, on the condition of anonymity, that patients from eastern suburbs would be referred to the Parel-based KEM hospital, though locals will be treated as before.

A notice put up by the hospital said as per the assisting dean’s instructions, only fresh patients of dog bite are to be provided with anti-rabies vaccination.

Purva Mane, a seven-year-old girl, has been shuttled between the civic-run hospital in Kalyan Dombivali, Sion Hospital and KEM. Shrikant Mane, Purva’s father, said, “We have already travelled from Kalyan Dombivali hospital to Sion Hospital and from Sion, we are (now) being referred to KEM Hospital. We are being shuttled from here to there, just for a vaccination course for a dog bite.”

Dr Jayesh Lele, president of the Maharashtra wing of the Indian Medical Association, said, “Ethically, it is not correct but this is an issue for BMC administration, they should probe it. And they have to ensure (the hospital has) enough stock of anti-rabies vaccine so that the cases are not referred further.”

Meanwhile talking to The Asian Age, a doctor from Sion Hospital said, “We do not have enough stock (of the vaccine). Whatever we have, we utilise for our patients.

In case of other patients we have to take the help of other major hospitals. We have never denied primary treatments that are required. But KEM is major hospital and they have enough stock.”

According to a residential medical officer at Sion Hospital, “We get 18-20 cases of dog bite per month and most are from the eastern suburbs. We get a lot of work. It’s hard to manage as we have limited stock to treat patients staying near Sion Hospital. The BMC should take cognizance of the stock of anti-rabies vaccination”.