LEMERY, Batangas – The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (ProVet) conducted free anti-rabies vaccination training to barangay (village) health workers (BHW) of this town as part of the month-long celebration of Rabies Awareness Month this March.
In a report on Saturday, Batangas public information office said Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Rommel Marasigan led the ProVet team in training the village health workers and other community volunteers on basic working knowledge in administering rabies vaccine and the proper handling of vaccine paraphernalia.
Marasigan said this month, which is the onset of summer, “is the perfect time to conduct such training and to administer the anti-rabies vaccine especially in the communities by engaging the rural folks.”
“Sapagkat pagsapit ng panahon ng tag-araw nagiging aktibo ang mga hayop kung kaya at mas kinakailangang mapababa ang risk ng rabies na maaaring makuha ng mga ito (animals become active during summer, thus there is a need to lower the risk of rabies incidence among the animals),” he said.
ProVet has embarked on the free training and briefing on March 21 to broaden information and awareness on the importance of rabies vaccination among the rural folks who were also given tips on how to control, capture their pets when needed.
The participants, after acquiring their competencies during the anti-rabies activities were automatically enlisted as members of the “Bantay Rabies sa Barangay” (rabies watchers of the village).
Marasigan also called on everyone’s cooperation to curb, if not totally eradicate incidence of rabid dogs and human deaths due to rabies infections by supporting the programs of the provincial government and through responsible pet ownership.
He said the series of activities are in line with Republic Act 9482 or the “Anti-Rabies Act of 2007,” the law which provides for the control and elimination of human and animal rabies prescribing penalties for violation.
Part of the activities of the provincial government aside from anti-rabies vaccination is the massive rabies awareness information and education drive on responsible pet ownership in various towns and cities here.
This includes free spaying and neutering services to pets in the towns of San Nicolas and Cuenca as well as the mass vaccination for pets in Lian, Batangas in mid-March.
Marasigan, who spearheaded the rounds of anti-rabies activities in the various towns and cities, also reminded pet owners to secure and care for their domesticated pets and avoid their pets to stray outside their homes to avoid contracting the rabies disease and eventually infecting other pets and even humans.
The ProVet office is also encouraging households to register their pet dogs and cats and have them vaccinated through their respective veterinary offices in the local government units (LGUs).
According to the Provincial Health Office, around 335 persons have been victims of animal bites from January to March this year per data gathered from Batangas 16 Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTCs) across the province.
The Batangas Provincial Anti-Rabies Council has also closely coordinated with the village folk medics or those engaged in folk medicine for their capacity training on the proper treatment of animal bites.
The province’s anti-rabies activities are in line with the awareness and advocacy campaign not only this month’s observance themed “Barangay Kaagapay, Laban sa Rabies Tagumpay” (enjoing the barangay support to successfully fight rabies) but as a year-round undertaking. (PNA)
