HYDERABAD: A medico was attacked by a pack of 11 stray dogs in the early hours of Tuedsay at the Government General & Chest Hospital in Erragadda as she was leaving to attend to patients.
The first-year postgraduate medical student suffered deep wounds from multiple bites on her arms, legs and other body parts. She was immediately taken to the hospital’s casualty ward for treatment.
The incident occurred about 2 am as the student was walking toward the hospital building when the strays attacked her. On hearing her screams and noticing the incident, patients’ attendants scared the dogs away and rescued her. However, by the time help arrived, the medical student had suffered significant wounds from dog bites.
This is the second time that hospital staff had been bitten by stray dogs on the premises, most probably by the same pack.
According to Dr S. Srikanth, head of the Osmania Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA), the first incident had occurred a few months ago. He said the terror of strays has gripped doctors and medical staff. No steps were initiated to deal with the dog numbers despite the matter being brought to the attention of officials concerned.
Further, Dr Srikanth said the dog menace was not limited to the Government General & Chest Hospital. Other government hospitals such as the Institute of Mental Health, Erragadda, were also affected. Chest Hospital superintendent Dr Mahaboob Khan, stated that strays frequently prowled the hospital, given the campus' size and proximity to an urban forest.
"Since a year ago, we've been attempting to capture every dog. To that end, we've been calling the municipal dog squad twice a week. They frequently visit and catch some dogs. There have been one or two cases of dog bites. We've done everything we can to prevent such incidents,” he said.
