NAWABSHAH, March 18: Increasing number of people are being bitten by stray dogs and as many as 200 cases have been recorded in the People’s Medical College Hospital, Nawabshah, in the past 77 days.

Chief medical officer of the hospital Dr Manzoor Memon, while confirming the figures said that at least 20 cases had been recorded during the past two days.

Despite repeated attempts, no official of the municipal office was available for comments.

Most of the local residents, contacted by this correspondent, criticized the municipal officials, saying that no effort had been made to control the rising number of stray dogs roaming in the city.

Some of them said that the number of dog bite cases in the three talukas of the district was higher as many people could not afford to go to hospitals.

One of the dog bite patients, who wished to remain anonymous, told this correspondent that he had to purchase anti- rabies vaccine from the market at an exorbitant rate as the hospital pharmacy had “run out” of the injections.

He said that he had to pay Rs2,150 for the complete dose of the vaccine.

Medical superintendent of the PMCH Dr Prof Azam Yousfani said that fresh supply of relevant medicines had arrived in the hospitals and were available for patients.

Stray dogs pose a greater threat to the lives of the people, specially children, as officials were doing nothing in this regard.