Bali Provincial Government has to reach deep into their pocket to deal with rabies distribution. 1 billion funds added for rabies is considered as nothing. Since the calculation for the rabies distribution management for Bali is about Rp 12.5 billion per year. That fund is intended to vaccinate 80 percents animal or for about 400.000 dogs per year.

It has been estimated that there are 500 thousand dogs population in Bali who threatened to be infected by rabies. If the 80 percents or 400 thousand of them are vaccinated then the fund prepared will be Rp 12.5 billion each year. If not, it as if we squeezing the balloon in deal with this rabies where there is no seriousness. If rabies is handled in ones regency then it appears in other regency. Head of Pansus Rabies DPRD Bali drh Nyoman Gde Putra Astawa on Monday November 23rd mentioned that fund for is intended for long acting vaccination. Means that it is not enough to vaccinate rabies vaccine once every three month then will make this disease would disappear just like that.

“Vaccination with today’s quality has proved its lack of quality. It had been done by North Sulawesi. The result wasn’t pleased. Now every year they held vaccination. It needs 10 until 15 years to covering its time with long term vaccination. It makes the huge number of fund. but that’s the challenge, if Bali want to be freed from rabies,” said Putra Astawa after led meeting in DPRD Bali with expert team from Udayana University (Unud) and doctors from ikatan dokter hewans se-Bali – Bali’s vet union –

According to Putra Astawa, that 12.5 billion of fund is including salary for officers in charge, consumption, and any other fee. “That’s for vaccination only. We merely gave the calculation; about the fund itself will be the executives’ problem to begin with. This is our study. We deal simply with rabies distribution. About fund realization is in the executives’ hand. Meanwhile, it is not enough if this problem handled only by college students and Health Department. Military, Police as well as artists should be involved together,” as been asserted by Putra Astawa.

Expert team from Unud who attended that meeting in DPRD Bali building yesterday were Prof. Dr. Damriyasa, Prof. Dr. Ngurah Mahardika, Prof. Dr. Dewa Ngurah Darma. In that meeting also appears an idea to held massive vaccination. Students and expert team and vet around Bali will participate together in that event. There are 700 students ready to participate.

What shocking the most that this rabies distribution not merely infected dog, monkey or cat. It is assumed that this disease had infected cows. “Even cow in Badung has been suspected carried this disease. The local citizen reported this case. After we checked its meat sample it was proved to be positive infected. This case also happened in Tabanan,” said Prof Mahardika in front of Council members yesterday. In that meeting, Prof Mahardika mentioned about cow infected with rabies is not a big deal to concern about. If it will be consumed, make sure it had been cooked well.”

Putra Astawa also added that rabies which infected cow is still an assumption. To ensure it, there is further research need to be conducted by Food and Agriculture organization – FAO – from United Nation.

News by NusaBali