Fear dogs Chennaiites

Chennai: Government hospitals receive nearly 15 dog bite cases a day throughout the year, but the incidence has become more severe over the past few months.

An official at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) said that the hospital was receiving more than 10 out patients every day with vaccination being given free of cost.

These patients had been bitten on the face and near the eyes, the official said, most of these incidents resulting if a person were to stamp on a dog’s tail unknowingly while talking on the cell phone or dashing into one in a crowded area or otherwise disturb it.

About the vaccination, the official said that pre-exposure prophylaxis rabies is the vaccine given to the person who handles the animal before the dog bite and post-exposure prophylaxis is given after the dog bites.

There are three types of injuries caused by the dog, the official said: licking and activities of aberration without bleeding come under Class I, broken skin without blood comes under Class II and broken skin with blood comes under Class III.

Regional Medical Officer of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital Dr M. Anand Prathap said that even if it was a slight nail scratch by a stray dog or a pet dog, five doses of immunisation called ‘immunoglobulin’ should be given to the affected person at various periods of time – on the first day after the dog had bitten the person, the third, seventh, 14th and 30th days.

This immunisation, costing around Rs 600 outside, costs Rs 3­00­ at the government hospital. 

Medical Superintendent of Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital Dr Jayaraman said that dog bites had incre­as­ed c­o­n­­s­iderably in recent mo­nth­s, especially from the areas of North Chennai, and they were mos­tly by country dogs, he added.

Extended areas to have dog homes

D. Senthil Natarajan| DC

Chennai: The civic body recently operated eight new dog-catching vehicles to monitor the extended areas, but its new ideas are taking time to be implemented due to a staff crunch and the delays in executing projects.

According to highly placed sources in the corporation, the civic body catches an average of 150 dogs a day which are being vaccinated and  spayed or sterilised.

The opening of the proposed dog shelter at Kannamapet burial ground is being hit by inordinate delays.

“All the civil works are done and the dog shelter is ready to be handed over to NGOs,” a senior civic official corporation said.

The civic body is planning to open a few more dog homes to manage the dog population in the extended areas. The idea is to ease the transportation of dogs across the city.

“We are yet to get an official communiqué from the Corporation on the construction of these shelters,” said Joseph Samuel, Ambattur zonal chairman.Light vehicle to be introduced

The large vehicles currently in use often break down and require more maintenance.The local body is planning to introduce light, low-maintenance commercial vehicles, which can go through narrow streets.  

Dog census

Though after ABC and vaccinations, the civic body counts every dog for returning it to the area from which it was picked up, the Corporation does not have a proper record of the total dogs in the city.

According to sources, the Corporation may conduct a dog census in the city this month to keep a check on the dog population.

Staff crunch

The troubling factor for the Chennai corporation is the shortage of dog catchers. “We pay Rs 50 for each dog caught, but most are not willing to do the job,” a senior official said. The Corporation has 23 dog catchers currently.

Meanwhile, Dawn Williams, general manager, Blue Cross Chennai, said, “Reduc­e­ ­­­fo­o­­­­­­d­ waste in the city and the stray dogs will not turn up.”