‘School protocol protects students from stray dog attacks’
KUCHING: In almost all schools, students are only allowed to be picked up by their parents or guardians after school and they are considered ‘safe’ from attacks by stray dogs (which may carry the rabies virus) which may be lingering around the school area.
“To the best of my knowledge, out of the three young rabiesinfected victims, one is from a government- aided Chinese primary school in Bedup and the child was bitten in the village and not within the vicinity of the school premises,” said the Federation of the Associations of Chinese Aided Primary School Boards of Management Sarawak secretary-general Chai Voon Tok when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
Last Friday, three children from Serian including two siblings tested positive for the rabies virus and are receiving treatment at the Sarawak General Hospital intensive care unit ( ICU).
Chai said: “In fact, I have checked with the headmasters in the Chinese primary schools in Serian Division that there are no stray dogs around or near the school premises.”
The schools concerned have also been placed on alert and if any student is bitten by a dog and is showing unusual signs of having a fever and the fear of water, the student must be referred to a doctor for immediate treatment, he added.
“On that note, I would like to appeal to parents to remain vigilant and have stricter control of the whereabouts of their children after school hours during this period, in addition to maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene and safety,” Chai emphasised.
He said as a team from the Health Department has been sent to the affected areas for active house-tohouse detection of cases involving dog bites, the rabies outbreak should now be under control.
Meanwhile, Chai would like to see the local councils in all areas take more proactive measures in tackling the problem of stray dogs and cats to avoid such virus outbreaks from recurring.
Speaking on the issue, Board of Management of Chung Hua Middle School ( CHMS) No.1, 3 and 4 chairman Datuk Richard Wee said: “There have not been reports on the matter from any of our schools.
“We are ready to be guided by our Department of Veterinary (Services) and related authorities concerned on all necessary precautionary measures to combat and tackle this issue. We are still awaiting the instructions and advice from the Education Department and/or Department of Veterinary (Services).”