A four-year-old girl suffering from fever was allegedly administered an anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) at the Bonai sub-divisional hospital in Sundargarh district.
According to reports, Chinmayee Jena from Kodia took her daughter to the hospital on July 29 for fever treatment. Dr. Likichand Mohapatra from the pediatric department prescribed the ARV despite the child not having any dog bite history. Hospital staff, upon inquiry, were told there was no animal bite, yet proceeded to administer the vaccine.
Following no signs of recovery, Chinmayee returned to the hospital, where she was informed of the medication error. “The doctor changed the prescription and advised continuing ARV doses, claiming it was routine,” Chinmayee told local media.
She alleged the prescription was torn up to conceal the mistake, though Dr. Mohapatra maintained the vaccine was part of routine immunisation and later attributed the symptoms to chicken pox.
This incident has sparked concerns about procedural lapses and raised calls for accountability within Odisha’s public healthcare system.
