Hospital allegedly tells patient to go to church due to lack of vaccine

The Primorsky Krai Department of Health is looking into a report that a patient being hospitalized in the town of Dalnegorsk was advised to go to church, because he could not be vaccinated against rabies due to a lack of vaccines.

"Temporary [supply shortages of the] rabies vaccine could have arisen in Dalnegorsk due to flooding; bids on the supply of the vaccine could not take place due to the natural disaster," said the representative of the regional health department Ksenia Gusentsova. Surrounding regions, she stressed, have necessary vaccine supplies.

According to news source News of Vladivostok, doctors at the hospital in Dalnegorsk advised a girl bitten by a dog to go to church and light a candle [and pray] that the dog was healthy.

"If the doctor actually said this, it is a violation of medical ethics," said Gusentsova.

At the end of August, the Primorsky Krai was hit by a typhoon.

The damages caused by the disaster have been estimated at 1 billion rubles (approximately $16,019,970).