A two-and-a-half-year-old baby was bitten by a stray dog in the city on Friday morning. Worse, she had to wait for more than four hours for treatment due to nonavailability of medicines at Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike hospitals. This comes at a time when the city has recorded several dog bite cases recently, and the BBMP has assured steps to curb the menace.
Madhumita was bitten while she was playing on the road near her grandparents’ house in Sampangiramnagar. The house is situated close to the BBMP head office. Madhumita is the daughter of Sathya, a graphic designer, and Bharathi.
According to Bharathi’s brother Manjunath, “The incident took place around 11.15 am. We rushed to BBMP’s Dasappa Hospital near Town Hall. But we were told there was no doctor or medicine to treat dog bites.”
“We were asked to go to the BBMP referral hospital on Siddiah Road. But there again they refused to give Madhumita an injection saying there was no pediatrician,” he said.
Later, Madhumita was taken to Vani Vilas Hospital where doctors gave her an injection. However, as the dog had bitten her on the face, her parents were advised to take her to Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital for another injection to avoid skin allergy, Manjunath said.
“By the time the treatment was over, it was 3.30 pm. Even though we stay in the heart of the city, we had to wait for four hours to get medical aid for Madhumita,” he said.
When contacted, BBMP Joint Director (Animal Husbandry) Mohammed Piran charged, “It is the duty of the family to look after their child. Dogs will not bite without any provocation.”