Residents of this town and neighboring areas now have easier access to anti-rabies vaccination after the Department of Health (DOH) accredited the Sarrat Primary Care Center Facility as an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC).
In a public announcement on Wednesday, Sarrat Mayor Ralph Conrad Medrano said residents who are bitten by dogs or cats can now seek immediate anti-rabies vaccination and treatment at the local facility.
The accreditation came after the Sarrat Primary Care Facility, operated by the local government unit, successfully passed the DOH evaluation for ABTC standards.
The facility, inaugurated in September 2024 and located along the national highway in downtown Sarrat, serves both local residents and those from nearby areas.
“This is good news for us as we no longer have to line up at the provincial hospital to avail of anti-rabies vaccination,” said Anthony Dumlao, a resident of Barangay Binaratan.
Health officials said the accreditation was pushed in response to the growing number of pet owners in the town, ensuring animal bite protection for the community.
The ABTC offers free post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and wound care for animal bite victims. Rabies PEP includes wound washing, a dose of human rabies immune globulin and a rabies vaccine administered during the first medical visit, followed by additional vaccine doses on days three, seven and 14. (PNA)