Sindh Takes Action After Rising Deaths Due to Dog Bites

The Sindh health department has taken strict action following a surge in deaths caused by dog bites across the province. Seven health department employees and seven hospital directors have been suspended, along with explanation notices issued to hospital heads, in light of the tragic loss of five lives, including minors, within a three-week span.

Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah initiated this disciplinary action after a thorough review of dog-bite mortality cases, which unveiled glaring shortcomings. These included untreated wounds, administration of anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) without the accompanying rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), and a blatant disregard for established protocols.

One disheartening incident involved a six-year-old boy whose head injury sustained from a dog attack was not even examined at Liaquat University Hospital in Hyderabad. Another tragic case involved a woman suffering from a thigh wound near her private region, which was not treated properly.

Post-mortem investigations revealed that out of 278 ARV units in Sindh, only 371 were found non-compliant with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. In response, a digital dashboard has been introduced to meticulously track ARV cases, vaccine stocks, and treatment schedules across the entire province.

Moreover, officials reported that approximately 45,000 patients were treated for dog bites over the past eight months, with 138,000 ARV and 5,000 RIG doses administered. However, the Chief Secretary warned that any future mishandling of anti-rabies cases would be treated as an administrative failure, directly impacting officers' performance evaluations.