That's a line from one of my favorite movies, Taladega nights. It is also a fair description of every city we've seen so far in India, where there really are stray dogs running around everywhere.
During a home visit today I was leaning up against a wall listening to the social worker talk to a woman about her husband's surgery. I shifted my weight, putting my right foot down and heard a yelp, then felt a slight pain in my right ankle. Apparently a stray dog had moved in to be part of the conversation, and unfortunately for both of us, he decided to lie down right under me. As you can see from the picture, the bite barely, and i mean barely broke the skin. Unfortunate for him because he got stepped on by me, and unfortunate for me because it meant I had to go to the CMC ER, or casualty unit as they call it, to get a rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin
It was surprisingly cheap to get everything taken care of, as I've summarized below.
3000 units of anti-rabies immunoglobulin, Rs 995
Four doses of rabies vaccine, Rs 800
One tetanus booster, Rs 75
Doctors fee, Rs 185
Not developing rabies because I stepped on a stray Indian dog by accident, priceless.
So in and out for about $40, and only two and a half hours. Not bad. Especially considering I have to get one more dose of the vaccine when I get back to America, which will cost my insurance about $300.
Please don't worry, I'm totally fine, and our trip won't have to be interrupted in any way.
On the bright side, it was actually an opportunity to see the system in action from the patient's side. They are very efficient, but it makes it much more complicated for the patient. After we saw the doctor, he had us go to the pharmacy to get the vaccine and immunoglobulins (paid for them on the spot), and then took them to the injection room where a nurse gave me my first shot. Then we returned to the doctor, where he injected half of the immunoglobulin around the bite, and then the rest in my glut.
It was a good first hand experience with Indian healthcare, but I don't mind if it is my last.
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| A stray who followed us around all day |
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| Puncture wound |
3000 units of anti-rabies immunoglobulin, Rs 995
Four doses of rabies vaccine, Rs 800
One tetanus booster, Rs 75
Doctors fee, Rs 185
Not developing rabies because I stepped on a stray Indian dog by accident, priceless.
So in and out for about $40, and only two and a half hours. Not bad. Especially considering I have to get one more dose of the vaccine when I get back to America, which will cost my insurance about $300.
Please don't worry, I'm totally fine, and our trip won't have to be interrupted in any way.
On the bright side, it was actually an opportunity to see the system in action from the patient's side. They are very efficient, but it makes it much more complicated for the patient. After we saw the doctor, he had us go to the pharmacy to get the vaccine and immunoglobulins (paid for them on the spot), and then took them to the injection room where a nurse gave me my first shot. Then we returned to the doctor, where he injected half of the immunoglobulin around the bite, and then the rest in my glut. It was a good first hand experience with Indian healthcare, but I don't mind if it is my last.
if you asked me "which of your friends is the most likely to step on a stray dog in a developing country and need a rabies vaccine?" your name would have topped the list. glad everything is ok and probably we won't let you forget this for a very long time.
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