KATHMANDU: Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has brought anti-rabies vaccines through an emergency procurement after the World Bank denied to provide ‘no objection letter’.

Dr Mingmar G. Sherpa, director of Supply System Division under the MoHP, said that the EDCD forwarded the process to buy rabies vaccines through a direct agreement with the supplier. Talking to The Himalayan Times, Dr Sherpa shared that the World Bank did not follow the tender agreement prepared through an intensive meeting between the two sides. He said that government was using its budget for purchasing the vaccines.

“Due to scarcity of the anti-rabies vaccines, we had brought some vaccines through emergency procurement for the interim period,” said Dr Jeetendra Shrestha, deputy director of Avian Influenza Control Project. He informed that they had brought anti-rabies vaccines for next five months as per the old tender rate with the concerned companies. Geeta Gurung, nursing administrator at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital, Teku, said the EDCD had been supplying the vaccines only after the recommendation of a doctor. “People are found reluctant to go through the lengthy process for the

vaccines,” shared Gurung.

Around 200-300 patients, including with the old cases, visit the hospital

every day.