The Doon hospital is witnessing an increase in Dog bite cases these days. The data suggests that the 823 bite cases were reported in the month of July while the figure in the previous month was 760. The hospital provides free anti rabies injection to the animal bite victims. Dog bite cases constitute more than 90 Percent of total animal bite victims. On Monday 43 new cases of dog bite were reported in the hospital, similarly 35 new bite cases were reported on Saturday despite of the fact that the OPD functions till 12 Noon only on the day.
The doctors of the hospital however do not see any trend behind this increase. The skin specialist of the hospital Dr Anil Arya was in fact unaware about the spurt in the cases. He said that the increase in the bite cases cannot be attributed to any seasonal change. Dr Arya however said that the animal bite cases should immediately rushed to the hospital and anti rabies injection should be administered immediately.
Incidentally on Tuesday members of the Doon resident welfare front held a demonstration at Municipal corporation office and protested against dog menace in the city. “The population of stray dogs has increased in the city; apart from this there is growing tendency among the people to keep dogs as pets. This is contributing to the increase in cases of dog bites in the city,” said Manish Kumar a resident of Defence colony. Waiting for his turn outside the injection room of Doon hospital Mukesh Kumar a resident of Kandoli said that a stray dog attacked him near his house. He said that massive sterilization programme for stray dogs of the city should be undertaken.
The Chief Pharmacist of Doon hospital, K C Kukreti said that the hospital has adequate supply of the anti rabies injections which is administered both intra dermal and intra muscular to the bite victim.
Kukreti informed that the quantity of injection is decided by the body mass index of the patient, for example a 10 kg child needs 1.5 ml while a 75 kg person needs to be injected 10 ml anti rabies vaccine.