With summer here, the number of dog bite cases are on the rise. But Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s canine vaccination activities are going on at a very slow pace. The twin cities have more than three lakh stray dogs, but the GHMC has vaccinated only around 70,000 dogs so far this year.
Dogs administered anti-rabies vaccination in the last two years, have now lost the effectiveness of the vaccine. So, more than half the canine population remains non-vaccinated. The Institute of Preventive Medicine gets around 40,000-45,000 dog bite cases every year. Dr V. Srinivas Rao, a general physician who also runs a rabies clinic in Picket, said, “Every week, I have been receiving a few dog bite victims. Usually, more cases are reported in the summer. However, vaccines are available.”
GHMC chief veterinary officer Venkateshwar Reddy said, “We have already started the vaccination drive. From January, around 70,000 dogs have been vaccinated in the city. At the same time, we are also carrying on the de-worming and sterilisation drive. Re-vaccination drive has also been taken up. It’s a continuous process and we are administering anti-rabies vaccine to all stray dogs. Separate help zones have also been set up for people to submit complaints about dog menace in their respective areas.”