Govt told to okay PC-I of plan to control rabies, stray dogs’ population

The Sindh High Court directed the provincial government on Thursday to ensure approval of the Project Cycle-I (PC-I) of a plan within 15 days to control rabies and the population of stray dogs.

Hearing a petition seeking control of the population of stray dogs and the availability of free anti-rabies vaccines, a division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar directed the secretary of the local government to issue a notification for the constitution of a task force immediately to prevent dog-bite incidents in the province.

Local government secretary Roshan Ali Sheikh submitted that the matter had been moved to the chief secretary for the constitution of a task force and framework of laws, and the PC-I had also been submitted for the initiation of a scheme with regard to fight rabies and control the population of stray dogs.

The health secretary has once again given an inventory account of the anti-rabies vaccine, and according to the inventory details 13,843 vaccines were available at 315 medical centres/hospitals in Sindh.

The KMC senior director medical and health also gave a statement mentioning that the KMC-run hospitals were maintaining the inventory and providing vaccines.

The municipal commissioners of South, Central, East, Malir, Korangi and Central districts submitted details of their efforts to deal with the issue. The court directed the municipal commissioners to continue their campaign so that the general public may be protected from stray dogs.

The court directed the cantonment boards and the Karachi Port Trust to submit their reports with regard to efforts being made for the protection of the public from stray dogs in their territorial limits.

It directed the additional secretary of local government to tell what progress had been made for the release of funds on the requisition of the municipal commissioners and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for the maintenance of vehicles and purchase of equipment for detention, sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs.

The division bench directed the additional advocate general to produce a notification with regard to the constitution of a task force as well as approval of the PC-I within 15 days.

Petitioner M Tariq Mansoor, an advocate, submitted that 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 during that year up to June 30, and that there was a shortage of anti-rabies vaccines in Sindh due to ongoing tensions with the neighbouring India and the closure of a Chinese company’s operation.

He submitted that dog-bite incidents were on the rise due to the failure of the provincial and local administrations to cope with the situation, as stray dogs had not been detained and anti-rabies vaccines were not available at the government-run hospitals.

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