BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Government has allocated a meagre budget of Rs.79.36 lakh for Dog Bite Control and Rabies control in 2021-22, according to health department report. Bhopal district has been allocated Rs 77,804 for the same purpose and equal amount has been given to other districts.
Growing dog bite incidents are a matter of concern in Madhya Pradesh. Even the High Court has taken cognizance of the issue.
As per Hamidia Hospital record, as many as 2875 dog bite cases have been reported from June 2021 till date in the city. In Bhopal, a few days ago a stray dog attacked a girl in Bagh Sevania. Taking note of the incident, the High Court had issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary.
Health activist Amulya Nidhi said, “The budget allocated for dog bite and Rabies Control is very low and this shows the indifferent attitude of the government. There is no proper anti-rabies injection at Primary Health Centres (PHCs).”
Stray dogs at Kotra Sultanabad | FP
According to the National Rabies Control program (NRCP), numbers of clinically suspected deaths due to dog bite are 3 out of 11 Rabies reported in 2019. Similarly no clinically suspected death was reported in 2020, but 9 cases of suspected Rabies were reported in the year.
As per National Health mission (NHM) officials, there is no facility of Rabies confirmation in any virology lab in Madhya Pradesh. NHM administration has written to the ministry of health and family welfare of the central government for the facility of Rabies confirmation in virology labs. Currently samples are sent to Pune virology lab for the confirmation of Rabies.
A boy plays with stray dogs at Shyam Nagar near Shahpura in Bhopal | FP
NHM officials further said, the annual estimated number of dog bites in India is 1.7 crores , leading to estimated 18,000-20,000 cases of human rabies per year. As rabies is not a notifiable disease in India and most deaths occur in rural areas where surveillance is poor, it is widely believed that this figure may be an underestimate.
Dr Anand Rai, another health activist, said, “Garbage bins have been removed from the roadsides and residential areas and the dogs are not getting any leftovers. The stray dogs are not being fed and are getting cranky and ferocious and attacking people.”
