Beliaghata ID becomes 1st hosp in state to get Rabies detection centre

kolkata: Beliaghata ID Hospital is the first hospital in the state to get a Rabies detection center which will come up through a joint initiative of the state government and the Centre.

Once the facility is inaugurated, it will hugely benefit the people from Bengal and also from neighbouring states.

Till now, the samples have to be sent to Bangalore to confirm if someone is positive. It takes more time for transportation.

Senior officials of the Beliaghata ID Hospital have already confirmed that steps have been taken to set up the first 'Regional Laboratory for Rabies Diagnosis' here in this hospital.

Those who are bitten by dogs and various other animals will be able to get a test done from the city itself.

Once the new facility comes up in the city, the samples from Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim will also be sent here for a rabies test.

According to the health department sources, around 1,965 samples were sent to Bangalore from Bengal for rabies test in December year while in January this year, around 1,923 samples were sent.

The project is in its final phase. Doctors and employees are being trained in the NCD Labs under Union Health Ministry in Delhi as to how to conduct rabies tests.

In around 90 per cent cases in India, rabies occurs due to a bite from a dog.

The Beliaghata ID Hospital is also introducing mobile message reminder service to ensure that people do not forget to take doses of various vaccines after receiving the first jab.

Under the new service, the hospital will send messages to those who have already received the first dose of any vaccine starting from Rabies. The new system will ensure that nobody misses their vaccination.

The hospital administers a number of vaccines on the patients on a regular basis which include vaccine doses against rabies, pneumonia, swine flu etc.

According to sources in the hospital, there were many instances where people have forgotten to receive the second dose within the due date as a result it often affects the procedure of vaccinations.

The mobile reminder system will be applied in case of other vaccinations as well such as pneumonia, swine flu.

Those who have already received the first dose of any vaccine will get a reminder on their mobile phone from the hospital prior to the due date. The rabies vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent rabies.

It is an active immunizing agent used to prevent infection caused by the rabies virus. The vaccine helps the body to produce antibodies against the rabies virus.

There are two types of rabies vaccines available in the market which can be used to prevent rabies before or after the exposure to the rabies virus.