The parents of Abhirami, the young girl from Pathanamthitta who died of rabies, have moved the Justice Siri Jagan Committee seeking compensation for the death of their daughter. The girl was among the 21 persons in the State who died due to rabies this year.
The 12-year-old girl was bitten by a stray dog on August 13 around 8 a.m. near her house. She was administered intra-dermal rabies vaccine and equine rabies immunoglobulin. However, she developed fever and anxiety on the 19th day of dog-bite and died on the 23rd day.
The victim had sustained multiple wounds in high-risk areas of the body such as right upper and lower eyelids, right hands and legs. Since these areas are either in close proximity to the brain or in highly innervated areas, the possibility of the virus reaching the central nervous system in spite of administering the vaccine and immunoglobulin was high, noted the commission in its report submitted to the Supreme Court.
The death of the girl was classified as a confirmed rabies case on the basis of the “epidemiological linkages, clinical features and laboratory results,” the panel reported.
The commission will issue notice to the State government and the local body concerned and share the copies of the application with them for hearing their version. The statements of the parties concerned, including the parents of the victim, will he heard. Later, the recommendations of the commission in the case will be submitted to the Supreme Court and a copy will be marked to the State government. The State government will direct the local body concerned to pay the compensation, indicated commission sources.
Applications can be submitted to the commission on a white paper. The affected parties can directly present their case and lawyers need not be hired for the purpose. The applications can be sent to the office of the commission functioning at UPAD Buildings at Paramara Road, Ernakulam.
