Now, you can have anti-rabies serum at Noida district hospital

NOIDA: Patients in Gautam Budh Nagar district and other parts of the western Uttar Pradesh will no longer have to travel to Delhi for anti-rabies serum (ARS) treatment, as it is now available at the district hospital in Sector 39, Noida, officials said on Monday.

The hospital administration confirmed that 100 vials of the serum have been received and are now available for patients in need.

GB Nagar health department officials said that until now, serious rabies cases were referred to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia hospital due to unavailability of the serum in Noida.

With the new facility, patients in Noida will have easy access to the crucial treatment within the city, preventing the need to undertake long-distance travel in critical situations.

According to Dr Renu Agarwal, chief medical superintendent, district hospital, the serum is expensive in the open market, its availability at the district hospital is a significant relief for patients.

“Patients bitten by rabies-infected animals are at risk of developing hydrophobia, severe headaches, fever, and muscle pain. This serum is essential to prevent the infection from spreading,” she said, adding that rabies is a fatal disease if not treated promptly.

Notably, the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) is administered in multiple doses to stimulate the body’s immune response against the rabies virus. It is used for both pre-exposure protection and post-exposure treatment but takes time to develop immunity.

Whereas, the anti-rabies serum (ARS), or rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), provides immediate protection by neutralising the virus at the wound. It is given only in category-III bites (deep wounds or multiple bites) before starting the vaccine course.

One of the first patients to receive the serum at the hospital, on the condition of anonymity, said that a pack of stray dogs attacked her while she was returning home from work recently. She sustained deep wounds.

Initially, she was advised to seek treatment in Delhi. But with the serum now available in Noida, she could receive immediate care without additional travel.

Officials said the serum will be given to patients from morning to evening in the outpatient department of the hospital, while in emergency cases patients will have access to the treatment 24/7.