Medical blunder in Odisha! Four-yr-old girl with fever given anti-rabies vaccine
Published By : Sourav Das
| July 31, 2025 12:27 PM
Sundargarh, July 31: In a startling case of medical negligence, a four-year-old girl suffering from fever was reportedly given an anti-rabies vaccine due to a wrong prescription by the on-duty doctor at a government hospital in Odisha's Sundargarh district.
As per reports, the incident took place in Bonai Sub-Divsional Hospital (SDH) and came to the fore after the affected family, hailing from Koida, reported the matter.
According to the allegations, the parents of the child took her to the SDH on July 29 after she developed fever. However, the pediatrician who examined her mistakenly prescribed an anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) based on the standard schedule.
When the girl's mother went to the on-site pharmacy, the pharmacist asked if the child had been bitten by a dog, to which she responded no. Despite this, the pharmacy staff proceeded with administering the ARV.
After returning home, the child developed allergic reactions across her body, prompting the parents to seek clarification from the doctor.
To their shock, when the doctor reviewed the prescription again, he allegedly tore it up and issued a new one.
He reportedly tried to cover up the mistake by claiming that the injection was not an anti-rabies vaccine, but part of the child's routine immunization, said the child's mother.
Thankfully, the child has not shown any adverse reactions to the incorrect injection so far, but she is still running a high fever. Her mother expressed concern, asking, "If that injection had caused harm and we had lost our child, who would be held responsible?" while speaking to reporters.
Further investigation into the matter was underway.
