Rawalpindi - Dog-bite cases are on the rise in the city during last 10 days as over 50 persons reportedly became victim in different areas of the city.
Earlier, there were several reports of such cases too, but authorities concerned did not take any action or started a drive to get rid of stray dogs particularly from city areas in the recent past though it has been demanding by the citizens.
The number of stray dogs is increasing consistently in the city that speaks volumes of the indifference on part of the concerned authorities, which seem unmoved to work on eradication of stray dogs for a long time.
Stray dogs can easily be seen roaming in almost every street and road of the town as well as in Cantonment areas particularly at night.
In a number of localities in the city, it has become almost impossible for citizens to move freely at night because of great increase in number of stray dogs.
A large number of dog-bite cases are reported monthly of which many have to succumb to death because of developing rabies.
Most of the dog-bite victims do not follow proper preventive measures to avoid rabies because of high price of anti-rabies tissue culture vaccine available in markets, while most of the public sector healthcare facilities cannot offer treatment to suspected patients of the rabies due to the reason.
Rabies is caused by a virus carried in the saliva of infected animal. Rabies, a severe viral disease, is fatal if not treated properly. It affects the central nervous systems of most warm-blooded animals and victims of such animal bites have to be immediately vaccinated. After exposing to the disease, the victim’s survival is impossible, various studies reveal.
The three allied hospitals in the city and tehsil headquarters hospitals in Rawalpindi district receive more than 1 00 dog-bite cases every month and the number is continuously on the rise, however, the increasing number of dog-bite cases too could not move the authorities concerned to work on eradication of stray dogs. Stray dogs are witnessed roaming around meat and poultry shops at all the times in the city and the surrounding areas, exposing citizens to the deadly rabies virus as the Tehsil Municipal Administration and health authorities have failed to reduce the number of stray dogs.
A shortage of funds and non-provision of the required quantity of ARV (anti rabies vaccine) is another issue that hampers health facilities and proper treatment of bite victims, who are forced to arrange vaccines on their own.
Stray dogs move through the city freely and are a constant threat to pedestrians. School children, women and aged persons are the most vulnerable to dogs.
The increasing number of stray dogs indicates the department’s apathetic attitude and it seems that they are least interested to give attention towards the issue which is of great public concern.
A doctor explained that a dog bite victim needs five antiviral injections. A single dose costs about Rs 800.
The doctor said people must not take dog bites lightly and complete the five injection course, irrespective of whether they think the dog is rabid or not, as it is not easy to determine with an untrained eye.
Residents of Rawalpindi have been complaining of the indifference shown by the authorities concerned on the subject. None of the departments concerned is working on the subject and instead they are only putting the liability of killing stray dogs on other departments.
The citizens have urged the provincial government that it should take notice of the problem and should issue necessary directives to the concerned departments to work on killing stray dogs.