New Delhi, Jan. 28 -- The Centre has directed all government and private hospitals to keep permanent stocks of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), as dog-bite incidents rise across the country, threatening public health.

The government has introduced extensive medical preparedness protocols to prevent the intrusion of stray dogs into high-traffic institutional areas, including schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots, and railway stations, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

The directive issued by the health and family welfare ministry to all central ministries, departments, states and Union territories in December, and reviewed by Mint, states, "All government and priv...