Karachi: Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah said his wife, who is the chief minister’s sister, had also been bitten by a stray dog, while six rabies deaths reported despite vaccination in Sindh were being investigated.
Speaking at a World Rabies Day event at Indus Hospital in Karachi, Shah said investigations into the six cases were underway to establish why the patients died despite receiving vaccination.
Recounting his wife’s experience, he said she was initially taken to a private hospital after the dog bite. However, the hospital lacked appropriate facilities for treating dog-bite cases, and its staff were not trained to manage them, he said.
His wife was subsequently brought to Indus Hospital, where she received treatment and an anti-rabies vaccine, Shah said.
The chief secretary stressed the importance of timely and accurate public awareness about rabies prevention and urged people to seek immediate medical attention after a dog bite.
He said improved reporting was one reason for the increase in reported rabies cases. More cases being reported than previously also indicated growing public awareness of the disease and its prevention, he added.
Participants were informed that 10,000 students and 300 teachers had received training on rabies prevention and precautionary measures during a month-long awareness campaign.
Indus Hospital officials said the hospital had provided free treatment for more than 150,000 dog-bite cases to date.
Shah urged the government and relevant institutions to work together towards the goal of making Pakistan rabies-free by 2030.