Kalyan Dog-Bite Case: '130 People Bitten' Claim Exaggerated? KDMC Issues Show-Cause Notice To Medical Officer

Kalyan: Claims that a stray dog bit nearly 130 people in Kalyan’s Khadakpada area have come under scrutiny after a discrepancy emerged between the official hospital figures and the numbers reportedly given to the media.

According to KDMC records cited in the show-cause notice, 58 patients were treated for dog bites at Rukminibai Hospital on Sunday after a stray dog reportedly attacked people near the Sandeep Hotel area in Khadakpada, Kalyan West.

However, KDMC medical officer Dr Sandeep Pagare allegedly told the media that 110 to 130 people had been bitten by the stray dog and that the patients were undergoing treatment at Rukminibai Hospital. According to a Loksatta report, the conflicting figures prompted KDMC Medical Health Officer Dr Deepa Shukla to issue a show-cause notice to Dr Pagare, seeking an explanation within 24 hours.

Was Unverified Information Given To Media?

According to the report citing the notice, the hospital had official records showing that 58 patients received treatment for dog bites during the day. Despite this, Dr Pagare allegedly provided a much higher figure to media outlets without verifying the information.

He reportedly also said that an 11-year-old girl had suffered serious injuries and had been shifted to Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion. The administration said the alleged incorrect information created panic in Khadakpada and across Kalyan after the figures were widely circulated on social media and news channels.

KDMC Questions Media Communication

The notice also reportedly pointed out that municipal officials are required to route media responses through the concerned department head, municipal commissioner or the civic public relations department.

KDMC alleged that Dr Pagare bypassed the prescribed communication process and shared information with the media without informing the medical health department head or public relations department. The administration has warned that if Dr Pagare fails to respond to the notice within 24 hours, further action could be proposed on the assumption that he has no explanation to offer.

The controversy has therefore raised questions over how the much higher figure of 110–130 dog-bite cases was arrived at when the official hospital record reportedly showed 58 patients treated.

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