Chennai: Victims of dog attacks at Institute of Mental Health, some with deep wounds, narrate the same story of how they were cornered and attacked. The menace has stirred a debate among doctors, management, local body officials, and animal activists on whether the 100-odd dogs some sterilised and vaccinated should be evacuated from the 46-acre campus.
Most doctors and post-graduates have videos and photos of the dogs roaming in packs and a long list of those bitten in the past two years, averaging at least one person a week. The latest are a woman PG doctor bitten twice in the female patient enclosure and a woman sanitary worker admitted to a govt hospital ICU after dog bites. There is no official register of bite cases at IMH. “They don’t even offer vaccinations. We are sent to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital or RGGGH for vaccinations,” said a senior doctor.
Patient attendees and frequent visitors carry sticks to chase away the dogs and bicyclists carry stones to throw at them. “After a protest, the management has given us a car with a driver to move from one ward to another at night,” said a PG student.
Director Dr M Malaiappan said management was working with GCC to sterilise the dogs periodically. “We find new dogs frequently. We suspect people may be dropping them here. But we ensure they are sterilised, vaccinated and dropped back as per guidelines.” Doctors and health workers disagree. “Why should dogs be dropped back at a hospital,” asked a senior professor of psychiatry.
IMH has at least 800 inpatients and 500 out-patients every day along with their family members. There are 25 doctors, besides PG students, about 135 nurses, and around 200 attenders. “Nearly half attendee posts are vacant. They are already overworked. Asking them to ensure patient safety amid free-roaming dogs is unfair,” said an assistant prof.
The director has sent letters to health department, GCC and animal welfare board asking them to relocate dogs from the hospital.
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