Animal husbandry department (AHD) spent over Rs 1.5 crore in six years to purchase around 22 lakh doses of anti-rabies vaccine for dogs and only 35% of the doses were administered, showed figures obtained through RTI.
Going by AHD data, the expenditure for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccine increased by 74% in six years and in the same period, the administration of vaccine dropped from 4.19 lakh doses in 2016 to 60,077 doses in 2021, a dip of 85%.
While officials cite glitches in data collection to justify low vaccine utilization, district-wise data show that some districts recorded abysmal doses in certain years. In 2019, only 10 doses were administered in dogs in Kozhikode. In 2020, the number was 51 for Wayanad. Thrissur, which recorded 39,050 doses in
2016 recorded just 249 doses in 2019. All districts saw a uniform dip in the doses administered in dogs.Lack of manpower and adequate Resources and an overburdened workforce were cited as reasons for the low utilization of anti-rabies vaccine in dogs. Often a vet is burdened with duties related to two-three panchayats and he/she must take care of many other tasks as well, said officials.