KOCHI: Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state government to provide effective and free medical treatment to dog bite victims at government hospitals, including those attached to government medical colleges, until concrete measures were put in place to avoid situations of human-animal conflict. A Division Bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Gopinath P issued the order in view of the rising number of incidents in which stray dogs turn violent and bite people.
The court directed the government to ensure that the hospitals concerned get an adequate stock of medicines required for such treatment. The treatment shall also be without prejudice to the right of the person concerned to separately seek compensation from the state for the injuries, mental and physical, sustained by the victim, before the appropriate forum.
The court said as a follow-up to the circular issued by state police chief, the administration should ensure that incidents of violence against animals, including community dogs, as also incidents of violence against persons feeding such dogs are taken cognizance of and appropriate action initiated against the perpetrators.