SHC moved for ensuring availability of anti-rabies vaccine at all govt hospitals

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Sindh government, the additional secretary health and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on a petition seeking control of the population of stray dogs and immediate availability of free anti-rabies vaccines at all government-run hospitals in the province.

M Tariq Mansoor submitted in the petition that provincial health minister Dr Azra Pechuho had given a statement before the provincial assembly that more than 92,000 dog- bite cases had been reported from across Sindh till June 30 this year and a shortage of anti-rabies vaccines due to the ongoing tension with neighbouring India and the closure of a Chinese company’s operation.

He submitted that dog-bites incidents had been on the rise day by day due to the failure of the provincial and local administrations to tackle the situation. He said that on the one hand, stray dogs had not been dealt with, and on the other anti-rabies vaccines were not available at government-run hospitals.

The court was requested to direct the provincial and local governments to take necessary steps for vaccination, detention and control of the population of stray dogs as per the World Health Organisation’s guidelines and to ensure supplies of anti-rabies vaccines at the government-run hospitals.

A division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the advocate general of Sindh, the secretary health, the local government and the director municipal services, KMC, to file comments on the petition on September 25.

Sacrificial animals

The Sindh High Court issued notices to the federal and provincial governments, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and other respondents on a petition seeking effective regulations regarding the slaughter of sacrificial animals on Eid-ul-Azha and the disposal of animal remains.

Jazib Aftab and Saadat Ali submitted in the petition that an unhealthy and unhygienic atmosphere was created in the province as well as in the country after Eid-ul-Azha on account of unregulated and unorganised slaughter of sacrificial animals on roads and footpaths, in residential and commercial areas and at other public spaces, besides unorganized disposal of garbage and waste management.

They submitted that such unregulated slaughter of animals in the absence of veterinary supervision, high temperature exposure to external pollutants and the proliferation of flies, insects and rodents could cause various diseases mainly due to unsafe disposal of animal residue and toxic waste material.

They said the adoption of hygienic practices in slaughtering sacrificial animals was important to prevent transmission of diseases from animals to humans such as Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

The petitioners submitted that the federal and provincial governments had failed to provide adequate measures to ensure public health and safety and in fact endangered the hygiene and health of public due to unregulated slaughter of animals on the religious occasion. They stated that several Muslim countries had strict regulations and their administrations ensured slaughter of sacrificial animals at designated slaughter houses or places.

The court was requested to direct the federal and provincial governments to make effective rules and regulations regarding the slaughter of sacrificial animals and disposal of animal remains.

They also sought directions for the provincial and local governments to perform their duties according to the law and remove the animal remains and garbage from streets to avoid any further spread of diseases.

A division bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the federal and provincial governments, the KMC and others and called their comments at the next date of hearing.

Baldia factory fire case

An anti-terrorism court is likely to record the statements of Baldia factory owners on Wednesday (today) through video-link from Dubai because they cannot return to the country for security concerns.

Two hundred and sixty people were killed and dozens injured as a fire ravaged through the Ali Enterprises garments factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012. Seventeen of the dead bodies still await identification.

The ATC-7 had scheduled the hearing to record the testimonies of the Ali Enterprises factory owners, Arshad Bhaila and Shahid Bhaila, through video conferencing from Pakistan embassy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

On a previous hearing, the factory owners had requested the ATC to grant them some time to prepare for the statement since they contended to have misunderstood an order of the court. Lately, the prosecutor was not available and the hearing was adjourned on September 4.