(From left) SSPCA chairman Rebecca D’Cruz and Dr Britton being briefed by a veterinary officer Dr Nicholas Jenek during the mass vaccination of dogs at Kota Padawan community hall.
KUCHING: Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian says he has sent queries on the rabies outbreak in Sarawak to the Ministry of Heath (MoH) in Putrajaya seeking explanation as to why there are no ready vaccine for victims of the dreaded disease when it was first detected in Serian, which resulted in four deaths.
He said if the ministry could not come up with satisfactory answers, he would ask the same question in the coming parliamentary sitting.
“I can’t answer you, the ministry has to respond. I have already sent them the questionaire,” Dr Sim said when met at Kota Padawan community hall during the mass vaccination for dogs, yesterday.
When asked on the condition of the 52-year-old victim from Remun in Serian, Dr Sim said the man had been given three doses of vaccines.
“He was bitten in May and he has been given three doses of vaccines. Unfortunately, the fourth dose could not be given as he’s already in critical condition at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” he said.
Dr Sim, who also looks after public health, urged the people to take the necessary precautions against the dreaded virus.
“That’s why we advise people bitten by dogs to wash the wounds thoroughly and seek medical assistance immediately. In this way it can prevent the rabies virus from reaching the brain.”
On a related issue, Dr Sim said he would give a briefing on the rabies outbreak to all local councils in the state here (Kuching) today (July 21).
“We want to let all the people throughout Sarawak be aware of the disease outbreak and the necessary measures to contain it. We will bring in all the experts if there are any queries,” he said.
Meanwhile, a rabies expert from Australia, Dr Andrea Britton, who is a member of the ‘Vets Beyond Border’, an NGO, said by the time the rabies victims had shown all the clinical symptoms, it would be almost impossible to save their lives.
“To save the victims, they must be treated as soon as they have been bitten by dogs.”
She said she was invited to the state by Sarawak Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animal (SSPCA) to assist in the vaccination of dogs. She was returning from India and was passing Indonesia when she was asked to come over.
“We hope that through the various initiatives by World Health Organisation (WHO), we can achieve a rabies-free society by 2030 with the help of all stakeholders such as the government, NGOs and the people.”
She commended the efforts of the state government in containing the disease outbreak.
“The approach (to contain the rabies outbreak) taken by the state government is the right one,” she said.