According to reports, 3 patients had Category-III deep bites and saliva transfer, while 18 had Category-II bites, including deep scratches from nails.
Representational image. (Creative Commons)
At least 29 people, who were admitted at the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital in Chennai due to serious injuries suffered from a stray dog bite, were discharged on the evening of Wednesday, 22 November.
The 29 people, including women and children, from GA Road in Washermanpet in the city, were bitten by a stray dog on Tuesday. The locals killed the dog.
According to reports, three patients had Category-III deep bites and saliva transfer from dog to human, while 18 patients had Category-II bites, including deep scratches by the dog’s nails.
Confirming the incident, Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital Dean P Balaji told South First, “One person who tried to rescue the public from the dog suffered serious injuries. He is, however, stable now.”
He added: “The patients were given anti-rabies vaccines and discharged. We are constantly following up with the patients to get an update about their situation.”
Greater Chennai Corporation Veterinary Officer Dr J Kamal Hussain said that the body of the dog had been sent to the Madras Veterinary College for post-mortem examination.
“We are awaiting the results, which should be available in two days. Additionally, we have captured 26 dogs in Royapuram and Washermanpet for observation. These dogs will be kept under observation for a week and those that have not been sterilised will undergo the procedure,” Hussain told South First.
As a precautionary measure, the dogs will be administered with anti-rabies vaccinations.
Of recent, the Greater Chennai Corporation has come under fire as agitated citizens from the city, especially Anna Nagar and Washermanpet, complained that their neighbourhoods had seen an increase in stray dogs.
The GCC has not conducted its annual census to estimate the stray dog population after 2018.
However, Hussain gave assurances that the civic body was taking enough measures.
In Chennai, each zone has a vehicle and five dog catchers assigned to capture stray dogs.
“In the past year, we successfully captured 16,000 dogs from the 15 zones of Chennai for sterilisation. The GCC helpline receives an average of 60-100 complaints daily regarding issues related to stray dogs. All captured dogs are sterilised before being released back into their respective localities, in accordance with the established norms,” said Hussain.
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