126 dog bite cases reported in Sukkur in five days
Residents want the govt to start a culling campaign
Photo: AFP
In the past five days, 126 people have been admitted to Sukkur’s Civil Hospital after being bitten by dogs.
Residents of Sukkur have called for a canine culling campaign but say the government isn’t doing anything. They say people, especially children, women and older people, are living in fear.
Dr Tasleem Khamesani, the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, confirmed the figure and said the patients were from Sukkur, Shikarpur, Ghotki and Balochistan.
On Saturday, Karachi’s Jinnah hospital received 21 dog bite cases. The total number of dog bite cases reached 122,566 across Sindh as of October 19, data from the district health information system showed. The highest number of cases were reported in the Dadu, Kamber Shahdadkot and Naushero Feroz districts, where the number of cases had crossed the 10,000 mark.
The death toll from rabies has reached 19 in Sindh this year.
The Sindh High Court is also hearing the matter and recently summoned the secretaries of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the health department to present reports on the issue of stray dogs.
The health department was ordered on Tuesday to provide the anti-rabies vaccine in all districts of the province. The Karachi city government and District Municipal Corporations have been instructed to form task forces to deal with the issue of stray dogs.
The court reprimanded the local government secretary and other authorities for their lack of progress on what it termed as a ‘critical matter’. The court also ruled that if someone was bitten in any area then the deputy commissioner of that area will be held responsible.
