Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) medical centres are facing an acute shortage of rabies vaccines. Its 29 hospitals, six referral centres and 23 maternity homes in the city have already exhausted all stocks of the anti rabies vaccine leading to temporary suspension of the free vaccination service. The dog bite victims coming to BMP medical centres are mostly poor and are directed to the private clinics where prices of vaccines are unaffordable to them.

Although BMP finalised the tender to supply 30,000 vaccines at a cost of over Rs 50 lakh, which is around Rs 170 per vaccine and priced approximately Rs 30 less than the market rate, its Standing Committee for Health has delayed the process of tender approval and instead, is making arrangements to call for a re-tender. The file for anti rabies vaccine purchase was forwarded as 'top priority' to the BMP Standing Committee while the shortage was not much acute.

N Venkataswamy, chairman, BMP health committee denied that the file for purchase of anti rabies vaccine had been kept pending. According to him, the file was sent for re-tender as the company (name withheld), which was short-listed to supply the vaccine, had delayed the dispatch last year causing considerable inconvenience to BMP. Since the same company has applied for the tender, BMP did not want to go ahead with the price bid and aborted the tender, he explained.

The delay in finalising the tender has forced BMP to purchase the vaccine at a higher cost. It has managed to source 1,080 vaccines from the Karnataka State Drug Logistic and Warehousing Society at Rs 207 per vaccine. It also plans to purchase an additional 5,000 vacancies to meet the shortfall. The process of purchase and supply would speed up once the tender is approved, stated Dr. PS Tandav Murthy, chief health officer BMP.

The scarcity has affected the poor patients bit by dogs severely and the private clinics are capitalising the opportunity to make the fast buck. BMP provided free of cost vaccination as part of the public health programme catering to over 100 dog bite cases everyday. Each vaccine is priced over Rs 200 but private clinics charge between Rs. 250 to Rs. 500 per injection apart from service charges, stated Dr. Murthy.

Efforts are made to ensure that vaccine supply is restored at the earliest informed sources from the BMP Standing Committee for Health.