Take adequate steps for timely diagnosis of rabies: Govt

SHILLONG, March 15: The state government has asked all government and private healthcare facilities, as well as medical officers/doctors/health workers whether in government, private/NGO sector and/or individual practitioner in the state to take adequate steps for timely diagnosis of cases of rabies (suspect, probable or confirmed) in humans.
In a notification issued by Secretary of the Health department, all stakeholders were also asked to notify every human rabies case and/or death to the Director of Health Services (Research) through the concerned District Medical and Health Officer in the ‘Reporting Formats’ devised by the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP).
The notification further made it clear that failure to report notifiable disease is a criminal offence and action will be initiated against the defaulter.
It may be mentioned that rabies is endemic throughout the country and is responsible for extensive morbidity and mortality. About 96 per cent of the mortality and morbidity is associated with dog bites. Cats, wolves, jackals, mongooses and monkeys are other important reservoirs of rabies in India.
The ‘National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030’, a multi-pronged strategy by the Centre, provides a strategic framework for stakeholders for the reduction of rabies in the country so as to achieve the WHO target of zero rabies deaths by 2030.