Neighbourhood praised in anti-rabies op
KUCHING: The Green Height/ Borneo Garden neighbourhood committee is praised for their cooperation when the Kuching District anti-rabies operation was carried out in the area yesterday.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman, in praising them, said the neighbourhood committee was a good role model and had set a fine example for others to emulate.
Uggah took time off to see the free vaccination done at the basement of Green Height Mall yesterday.
With him were the Green Height/ Borneo Garden Neighbourhood Committee secretary Andrew Tsen and other members.
AlsopresentwereSaveOurStrays (SOS) group committee members and officers from the Department of Veterinary Services.
In a statement issued later, Uggah said some 430 dogs were successfully vaccinated as the ongoing Kuching District anti rabies operation entered its fourth day yesterday.
The operation, running from April 22 to May 3, also sees 437 strays and three cats having been removed.
The accumulated number of dogs vaccinated in Kuching District since 2017 now stands at 11,569 from an estimated population of 50,000 following four days of the operation.
It was the third operation to be implemented in Sarawak since the first one on March 1.
It was reported previously that any stray or free roaming dogs seen would be targetted for removal in the Kuching District anti rabies operation.
Based on news report on April 14, Uggah was quoted as saying there would be no exception for stray dogs or so-called community dogs (neutered and vaccinated but ownerless), because granting any exemption would only backfire in the fight to eradicate the deadly disease
The integrated operation against rabies is being carried out after Sarawak’s rabies outbreak was declared as ‘ Level II’ disaster by the National Security Council in January.
The pilot operation was held in Lundu and Bau districts from March 1 to 10.
A total 16 human lives have been lost due to the rabies outbreak since July 2017, while one rabies victim is in comatose and is being treated at home.