Urgent Call for Action as Stray Dog Attacks Surge in Tamil Nadu
Stray Dog Attacks Raise Alarm in Coimbatore
In Chettipalayam, Coimbatore district, a worrying incident occurred when eleven individuals were bitten by a stray dog in a single day, prompting widespread concern and calls for immediate government intervention. The repeated attacks in Ward 1 have left local residents in a state of panic. One of the victims, a man named Ganesan, recounted how he was bitten on the leg while tending to his fields. He stated, "There are many dogs in our area. I was going to water my crops when the dog quietly approached from behind and bit me. When I went for treatment, I was shocked to see so many others receiving care for dog bites." Ganesan suffered a significant injury, losing a piece of flesh from his leg, and joined the growing number of patients seeking treatment for similar wounds.
Rising Incidents of Dog Bites
According to records from the district hospital, there have been a total of 7,991 reported dog bite cases up until June this year, all of which received anti-rabies vaccinations. In July alone, 800 new cases have been reported. Karti P. Chidambaram, a Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, has been vocal about this issue, raising it during zero hour in Parliament. He described the situation as a public health crisis and called for a national response. This is a pressing concern for the general public, especially considering that India is home to over 62 million stray dogs, one of the largest populations globally, and is endemic to rabies, accounting for 36% of rabies-related deaths worldwide. We are spending $150 million on rabies vaccines.
Calls for a National Task Force
He further noted that recently in Chennai, a dog bit 29 people, all of whom required hospitalization after it was discovered that the dog was rabid. Neither the Ministry of Animal Husbandry nor the Ministry of Health has taken responsibility for this issue. Local authorities lack both the funding and expertise to enforce animal birth control regulations. I urge the Prime Minister to establish a national task force to address this problem and provide necessary funding.