Chennai: Three women patients of Institute of Mental Health in Kilpauk were bitten by stray dogs on the premises over the past three days. During their weekly review meeting on Tuesday, doctors called for the hospital administrator to push for a ‘dog-free’ campus to help ensure patient safety. Nearly a hundred dogs, some sterilized and vaccinated, roam the 46-acre campus in packs. Most doctors have a long list of people including nurses and post-graduate students bitten by them in the last two years.
“A patient was severely bitten this week. She wasn’t in a state to inform doctors or nurses about the injury. We identified the wound on her legs after we saw blood and fluids oozing out,” said a senior doctor. “She was resisting treatment, and we had to forcibly take her to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital with support staff for the vaccine. The campus does not have anti-rabies vaccination, although we have an average of at least one dog bite case a week. We don’t even maintain a register for dog bite cases,” he said. Two other patients from ward 14 bitten by the stray dogs on Monday and Tuesday were also taken to Kilpauk hospital for vaccination.
IMH has at least 800 inpatients and 500 outpatients coming with their families every day. There are 25 doctors, besides PG students, about 135 nurses, and around 200 attenders. For nearly a year now, doctors have been asking GCC to remove all dogs from the campus.
While duty doctors and PGs have been given a car with drivers to move around the campus for rounds at night, other staff carry sticks or stones to chase dogs if needed. “Almost every doctor on campus has photos and videos of harrowing experiences on campus. Some staff bitten by dogs refuse to work in some wards. We are already short of staff. How do we consider these requests while we mark duties?” asked a senior nurse.
Hospital director Dr M Malaiappan said management was working with GCC to sterilise the dogs periodically. “They drop dogs back on campus after this, as per guidelines for animal birth control. Now, we have asked health inspectors to remove a dog that has been ferociously attacking patients in the last few days,” he said.
The director earlier sent letters to the health department, GCC, and animal welfare board asking them to relocate dogs from the hospital, but the proposal was turned down by GCC citing guidelines. Doctors say dogs must not be dropped back at a hospital. “We cannot be treated as a community zone and forced to adopt strays. Our priority is our patients,” another senior doctor said.
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