BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has issued a circular directing all government and private hospitals to maintain a mandatory stock of Anti-Rabies Vaccines (ARV), rabies immunoglobulin, and Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) at all times, following recent Supreme Court guidelines on dog-bite management.
The circular, issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department, follows the Supreme Court’s order, emphasising the compulsory availability of anti-rabies treatment across all health facilities.
Declaring rabies a notifiable disease in the state, the government has instructed all hospitals to ensure the timely administration of the Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and a one-time dose of equine rabies immunoglobulin, free of cost. The directive supports India’s goal of achieving 'Zero Human Deaths due to Dog-Mediated Rabies by 2030.'
The order also highlights that snakebite deaths and complications remain a significant public health concern and mandates assured emergency care for all snakebite victims at the nearest available hospital.
Under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act, 2007, private hospitals must provide first aid and lifesaving treatment to dog, animal, and snake bite victims without demanding advance payment. Additionally, the Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional Act, 2016 requires hospitals to offer free medical screening and first aid, stabilising patients before referral if adequate facilities are unavailable.
The government has clarified that district-level Registration and Grievance Authorities will reimburse hospitals for treatment costs they cannot recover, at rates specified under the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) scheme.
Failure to comply with these provisions, resulting in the death of a bite victim, will be treated as medical negligence, attracting criminal charges under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, 2023, with imprisonment of up to two years. Hospitals may also face licence cancellation in cases of serious or repeated dereliction of duty.