I-Witness revisits Rabies

MANILA, Philippines - The video captured in the year 2000 episode of I-Witness is an unforgettable image that has been used in many information campaigns on rabies. A shocking documentary, Rabies, was instrumental in raising awareness about the virus during that time. The image is that of a young man clinging to a hospital wall and breaking the window’s glass to escape.

Ten years later, I-Witness revisits Rabies. The same window filmed in 2000 at the San Lazaro Hospital ward is barred. The room is quiet when Jay Taruc’s I-Witness team revisits the place. But then, a 13-year-old boy suspected to be a victim of rabies is admitted. He is put under a 24-hour observation period, a standard operating procedure for San Lazaro Hospital. The parents of the boy inform the doctors that the dog, which allegedly bit the victim, is still alive. That, according to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Animal Industry, is not possible. It is commonly believed that a dog with rabies will die after biting a victim. But less than 24 hours after being admitted, the patient dies. This case, according to a doctor at San Lazaro, is rare and a mystery to them. Is it possible that there are still some things to be learned about rabies after all these years?

By the year 2020, the government hopes to completely eradicate rabies. Since 2000, rabies incidence has declined because of the rigorous campaign by both the DOH and the local governments. Siquijor, for example, has been declared rabies-free. But the same cannot be said of other provinces like Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. They remain in the Top 10 provinces stricken with rabies.

San Lazaro Hospital is still the main government hospital that treats rabies patients. At the local level, health centers are provided with vaccines but no treatment is being provided for serious cases. The vaccines are only given free to those bitten by dogs and other animals. Persons exposed to the victim, for example, have to pay for their vaccinations for about P1,000 per shot. The government cannot supply free vaccines for the entire population because of the perpetual problem — lack of funds.