KALYAN RECORDS SIX DOG BITE CASES IN 24 HRS

KALYAN: With six cases of dog bite within 24 hours reported from Kalyan on Tuesday, residents are worried about the increasing stray dog menace in the twin cities.

The incidents took place at Adharwadi, Kate Manavli and Anandwadi areas.

The civic hospital said there are at least three dog bite cases daily on an average.

“We have patients from Thane rural, Kalyan rural, Bhiwandi city and rural areas, Ulhasnagar, Badlapur and Dombivli,” said a medical officer at Rukminibai Hospital, Kalyan.

Meanwhile, the civil hospital in Kalyan is the only place where first aid and vaccination is available for 24 hours.

“We have enough stock for dog bite cases and we ensure medications are administered as soon as possible. We ensure that patients are kept under observation for at least four hours before they are discharged,” said Dr Ashwini Patil, civil surgeon, Rukminibai Hospital, Kalyan.

Residents have been complaining about the increase in cases of stray dogs in Kalyan and Dombivli.

“There is a stretch of mutton shops near my house. As leftovers are often fed to stray dogs, their number keeps increasing every day. They always crowd the road outside the shops, and turn violent at times,” said Shabbir Sheikh, 37, resident of Bhoiwada, Kalyan.

KDMC claims to have vaccinated stray dogs.

“We have ensured their number do not increase but if there is an increase in numbers, then we will surely look into it and identify the areas where the problem is acute,” said Govind Bodke, commissioner, KDMC.