KARACHI, Oct 3: Four government hospitals in the city on Tuesday received as many as 52 patients bitten by stray dogs in different localities of the city. The victims belonged to all age groups.

Senior doctors at the hospitals said that on average they were seeing 10-12 dog-bite victims a day. The menace should be checked at the earliest, and local governments should also launch a public awareness campaign on the issue.

Dr Seemin Jamali, in-charge of Accidents and Emergency Department, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, said that as many as 20 new cases of dog-bite patients were brought to hospitals from different towns on Tuesday.

We have been receiving 20-25 cases of dog-bite per day for the last couple of weeks, she added, saying that the JPMC has got a rabies control centre where patients are provided free of cost treatment, which included immunoglobulin, an injectable soluble meant for category 2 and 3 bite patients.

She was of the view that people should give importance to the dog bite cases, while doctors in different localities should also refer the cases promptly to the JPMC for proper treatment in order to avoid complexities. Patients in question received at the JPMC on Tuesday belonged to all age groups from toddlers to aged people living in Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal, Malir and Mehmoodabad areas, she informed.

Dr Sheikh Zahiruddin, assistant medical superintendent at the Lyari General Hospital said that nine dog-bite cases were brought to the hospital till 1pm on Tuesday. On Monday, in all eleven new cases of dog-bite were brought from different areas of Lyari and peripheral localities.

The cases reported to the LGH on Tuesday were: Halim Mohammad Dur (16 years), Ghulam Mohammad (30), Ramesh (35), Zakir (4), Naim (5), M. Iqbal (35), Mohammad Ali (30), Imran (10) and Riaz (13). Excluding some severe cases, patients are normally sent back after dressing and medications.

Dr Zaheer said that the flow of dog-bite cases in the hospital had been a source of concern and that was why the medical superintendent was already in correspondence with the provincial health department and executive district officer health of the city government. We have recently sent a letter to EDO health, requesting him to take measures for elimination of dogs, he added.

Dr Khalid Ibrahim, in-charge of Rabies Control Cell of Civil Hospital Karachi said that his hospital was receiving on average 10-12 new cases per day. An official from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said that the hospital had been receiving 8-10 dog patients every day.

Doctors said that a dog-bite victim should immediately refer a doctor. The patients should report to rabies immunization units, which met WHO criteria for the administration of anti-rabies vaccines, at the earliest, irrespective of the depth of the wounds, they further said.

Experts say that 95 per cent of animal-bites cases involve stray dogs; therefore, it is imperative that a campaign is launched to control the growing population of street dogs. As precaution, children should not be left alone with a cat or dog and people should avoid making any attempt to intervene in a fight between animals or come close to sick animals, the doctors suggest.Senior citizens blamed that dog-bite cases had assumed an alarming proportion due to the failure of town administrations in carrying out sustained campaign against stray dogs. We hesitate to send our wards to nearby parks and playgrounds as dogs roamed there even during the day time, said a parent in Federal B area.

The executive district officer (health), Dr A. D. Sajnani, while acknowledging the increase in dog-bite cases, said that the towns should undertake campaigns against stray dogs in their respective jurisdictions.

We do extend support from district by providing them Strychnine HCL in the shape of capsules for use in eatables for dogs leading to their deaths. The towns are once again being asked for elimination of dogs, he remarked.