12-Yr-Old Attacked By Stray Dog Dies In Kottayam Medical College; Health Department Initiates Probe 

The stray dog menace has been infecting Kerala for a while now, with many motorists and residents having reported repeated incidents of being chased and attacked by rabid dogs. According to the data presented by Health Minister Veena George at the State Assembly, a total of 20 people in Kerala have died due to rabies infection so far this year. The recent case of a twelve-year-old having died despite seeking treatment for a dog bite has raised questions about the effectiveness of treatments in such cases and the way to curb similar incidents.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), rabies is a viral infection that has been categorised as vaccine-preventable. However, this disease has also been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually in Asia and Africa. In such a scenario, Kerala steps into the forum where rabies-infected deaths have peaked despite the availability of vaccines.

The Ranni Incident

Abhirami, a 12-year-old native of Ranni in the Pathanamthitta district, was on her way to purchase milk when she was attacked by a stray. The dog had repeatedly mauled her in seven places, including her legs, hands, and eyes. She was immediately taken to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital and was administered three doses of anti-rabies vaccines.

However, her situation turned critical, and she was then taken to Kottayam Medical College Hospital for further treatment. She was placed on ventilator support, and her samples were sent across to the Pune Virology Institute, but they were unable to save her life.

As per a report by the New Indian Express, post this incident, there was a huge outcry regarding the quality of the vaccines in such cases. The opposition leader V D Satheesan urged the state government to act immediately and ensure the availability of better and more effective treatment. Responding to the incident, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that an expert board would be set up to study the quality of anti-rabies vaccines that were being administered.

State Health Minister Veena George directed the Director of Medical Education to implement the board decision accordingly and also presented the statistics on the deaths caused despite vaccination. Out of the 20 rabies-infected deaths, 15 are said to not have taken the prescribed anti-rabies vaccine, and one had only accepted the jab partially.

However, the remaining four had duly received the doses, and as per the medical reports, all of them were bitten in critical body parts that are more prone to transmit the infection throughout the body. This includes the 12-year-old who was bitten on parts of her face and hands. In such cases, it has been noted that the disease spreads rapidly before even getting the opportunity to inject the counter vaccine.

Assuring the quality of the anti-rabies vaccines purchased, Veena George stated that they had been bought through the Kerala Medical Corporation Limited (KMCL) along with standard quality certification from the Centre. Keeping this aside, she admitted that the dog bite cases had seen a rise of up to 1,83,931 cases so far this year as compared to the 1.35 lakh cases in 2017.

With anxiety clouding over the people in regard to the increased cases of stray dog attacks, the government will be looking into the issue with the help of experts from the medical and other fields, read yet another report by the New Indian Express.

"Dog's Own Country", Says A Petitioner At Supreme Court

A case filed by a petitioner at the Supreme Court was heard on September 5, and the hearing was advanced to September 9 after the counsel pressed on the seriousness of the crisis. Stating that "God's own country" is transforming into "Dog's own country" with figures showing over ten lakh dog bite incidents in the past five years, the advocate requested the court to direct the State Govt to adopt adequate measures to resolve the people's concerns.

Supporting the recent spike, the advocate brought up the demise of the 12-year-old and said that it is just one among the many cases that have been reported from Kerala. A report by the Times Of India stated that the worry had further deepened in the state as many cases were given the vaccines and necessary treatment, despite which they were not able to be saved.

A Dilemma Between Animal-Lovers And Helpless Communities

Among the many cases reported, the Kozhikode Corporation expressed the dilemma they continued to face in terms of protecting their people as well as the animal community. The streets of Kozhikode were rampant with stray dogs unleashing terror among the residents, especially school-going children, for the longest while. In a span of two months, about 50 people were hospitalised with dog bites. This was added along with increasing cases of motor accidents caused by strays.

The State Human Rights Commission had pulled up the corporation demanding them to control the situation, to which the corporation responded that "everything that is legally possible" was being done by them. To curb the issue, the corporation installed an Animal Birth Control Centre where around 17 dogs were being sterilised on a daily basis. As per the statement given by the Health Standing Committee Chairperson of the corporation, S. Jayasree, she said that "The Supreme Court has banned the killing of dogs. If we get the permission to kill the ferocious ones, this would have been much easier".

Earlier this year in July, a panchayat president from Kozhikode's Chakkittapara had issued permission to a licensed individual to shoot down rabid dogs running loose in the panchayat. This decision raised concerns among many animal lovers who were quick to attack the decision on social media platforms. Some even went to the extent of getting the police involved in the case.

Responding to these attacks, the president released a statement via a Facebook post, which conveyed that as a representative, his responsibility is to ensure his people and panchayat's safety and security first. He said that the ground reality is nothing like the animal-loving sentiment that is being thrown around on social media. Saying that the attacks to him meant very little, he said that he was simply fulfilling his duty as a president.

Also Read: 'Stray Dogs Have Right To Food, Citizens Have Right To Feed': Delhi HC