2018 flood survivor boy succumbs to rabies

Haripad: Devanarayan, the eight-year-old boy who died of rabies recently in Haripad, had a miraculous escape even after falling into a pond at an age of two during the 2018 flood that hit Kerala. However, he succumbed to the deadly virus, leaving his parents heartbroken. 

The boy's father, Deepu, who is a carpenter, had gone to the Gulf in search of a job just six months prior to the incident. The last rites were conducted after he reached home.

Minister orders investigation to look into medical negligence charges

Devanarayan’s family has alleged that his death was due to the negligence of the doctors at Haripad Government Hospital. 

Meanwhile, Haripad MLA Ramesh Chennithala stated that Health Minister Veena George has assured to investigate the complaint of the family.

According to the family, on April 23, Devanarayan was chased by a street dog and fell and got injured. He was taken to the hospital the same day, but junior doctors said that there were no signs of any dog bite. Instead, the doctor stated that it was an injury caused while falling down. The boy was taken to the hospital again the next day and was examined by senior doctors, who reiterated the same and prescribed some ointments for the wounds.

A complaint pointing out these details was submitted to the Health Minister and the State Human Rights Commission through the MLA.

Around 50 people were vaccinated against rabies

About fifty people who were in contact with Devanarayan took the anti-rabies vaccine. The rabies-infected child stayed at his relative's house in Kayamkulam for a few days. He had also attended a temple ceremony there. So they had already started taking the vaccine.

Fifteen hospital staff who took care of Devanarayan at the hospital have already been vaccinated. More people are reaching out for the vaccine as a cow in their nearby locality also died due to rabies.

Meanwhile, the municipality has decided to assign the Taluk Hospital Superintendent to track people who came in contact with the child. Doctors at the Haripad Veterinary Hospital were tasked to vaccinate the stray dogs and domestic dogs in the area on Saturday.

Rabies is not trivial; can be fatal if not treated
 

This year in Kerala, 9 out of 10 people, infected with rabies, died. Many of them lost their lives as they did not seek timely treatment, similar to the case of Devanarayan, who did not get vaccinated because no one realised that the street dog had bitten him. 

Vaccination a must even if bitten by a vaccinated animal

Doctors advise that people should not ignore vaccination if they have been bitten or scratched by a pet dog or cat. Many people think that because their pets are vaccinated against rabies, they do not require a vaccination. However, doctors completely disagree with it. Animals receive most of the benefits of vaccination. However, humans must also be vaccinated. Even if a dog, cat, or other pet licks a wound on the body, vaccination is a must.