On 16th August, a stray dog suspected to be rabies-infected went on a rampage in Indapur town. The dog bit 13 people in the busy college area, sparking panic along the Pune-Solapur highway. The injured, including students, senior citizens and passers-by, were rushed to the Indapur sub-district hospital. However, the facility did not have stock of the critical anti-rabies serum (ARS) for the past four months. Patients were instead advised to seek treatment in Baramati or at private hospitals, which led to chaos and resentment among the locals.
Victims slammed the hospital administration for its negligence. One of the victims, Pandurang Shinde, said, “It shows how ill-prepared such government hospitals are. Why would people go there even in emergencies?” Another victim, Akshay Kadam, demanded an inquiry against the doctors concerned. Tanaji Shewale, another victim, questioned how a hospital could fail to stock such a crucial life-saving serum.
District civil surgeon Dr Nagnath Yampalle admitted the hospital did not have ARS at the critical moment and said the superintendent could have purchased it from local pharmacies. He added that Indapur hospital had recently been permitted to procure the serum through the patient welfare fund. Dr Yampalle said the hospital is getting over 700 cases of dog bites every month. Superintendent Dr Siddharth Nampalli, however, claimed bills for such purchases were often not cleared on time.
The municipal council captured and neutralised the dog, bringing temporary relief. Yet, villagers have called on local representatives, including state agriculture minister and MLA Dattatray Bharane, to intervene and ensure uninterrupted ARS supply, warning that the lapse had endangered lives.
OpIndia is doing a series on Stray Dog Menace in India which can be checked here.
