JAMMU: The State Surveillance Unit, IDSP Jammu Division on Saturday successfully concluded two-day Divisional Level National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) Training for districts of Jammu division held in the Conference Hall Gandhi Nagar Hospital.
The programme was organized under the guidance and support of Mission Director National Health Mission J&K Baseerul Haq Chaudhary and overall supervision of Director Health Services Jammu Dr. Abdul Hamid Zargar.
The programme was conducted under the One Health Approach to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination across Human health, Animal health and Municipal administration.
Addressing the participating medicos, State Epidemiologist / State Surveillance Officer IDSP Jammu Division Dr. Harjeet Rai emphasized the importance of robust rabies surveillance, timely case management and coordinated multisectoral response. He highlighted India’s commitment to achieving the “Zero by 2030” National goal for rabies elimination, urging districts to ensure synchronized efforts with animal husbandry and municipal agencies.
Dr. Narinder Bhutyal, Medical Superintendent, Gandhi Nagar Hospital Jammu graced the event and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the surveillance team and participating districts. He reaffirmed the hospital’s support for ongoing training, awareness initiatives, and rabies control activities.
The event was attended by Dr. Simmi Thakur, Assistant Director, Health and Education Bureau (HEB), Directorate of Health Services Jammu who acknowledged the importance of capacity-building and intersectoral collaboration for rabies control.
Technical sessions were delivered by expert faculty including Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Associate Professor, Community Medicine, GMC Jammu; Dr. Gourav Chowdhary, Animal Welfare Officer, Jammu Municipal Corporation; Dr. Sandeep Pandita, Technical Assistant to Joint Director, MS Institute of Animal Health & Biological Products, R.S. Pura and Dr. Prem Lata, Medical Officer, Epidemiologist Office, Directorate of Health Services Jammu.
Key topics included human Rabies surveillance, bite management protocols as per NRCP Guidelines, ABC/ARV strategies, dog population control and integrated One Health approach to prevention and control.
As part of the practical component, Vishal Patil, Supervisor Pharmacist conducted a hands-on training session on correct administration techniques for Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS), covering dosing, intradermal route and special case considerations.
The training was attended by District Nodal Officers (DNOs), Medical Officers, Pharmacists and Vaccinators representing all districts of the Jammu division. The programme aimed to strengthen district-level capacities for effective NRCP implementation and to accelerate Jammu & Kashmir’s progress toward the national target of rabies elimination by 2030.
The two-day programme concluded with an interactive session and a reaffirmation of the collective commitment to achieving a Rabies-free Jammu & Kashmir by 2030 through enhanced coordination between human, animal and environmental health sectors.