Patients in constant fear; athletes could be at risk
Patients in constant fear; athletes could be at risk
Their bark may be worse than their bite but visitors at city hospitals are treading cautiously these days courtesy the stray dogs roaming in the vicinity. While the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is keeping a strict check on canines at Games Village, designated hospitals for CWG have been left out of the loop.
Beware of dogs: Patients and staff at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
are forced to live in the fear of stray dogs.
So, a large number of dogs are wandering freely outside medical institutions such as Lok Nayak, Govind Ballabh Pant, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ram Manohar Lohia and Safdarjung.
Apart from their own safety, hospital employees are also worried about the safety of patients coming during the event.
"A large number of dogs are loitering outside the hospital. During the Games, patients from all over the country may come to get treatment. Suppose if anyone of them gets bitten by dogs, then who will take responsibility?" asked a senior official from Lok Nayak Hospital on the condition of anonymity.
"These dogs may even enter the hospital premises. Already there are a large number of visitors coming to the hospital on a regular basis. If they are attacked what will we do? This will increase our burden of responsibility," said an official from Safdarjung Hospital on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
MiD DAY tried to contact Delhi Mayor Prithviraj Sawhney, Standing Committee Chairman Yogender Chandolia and the Director of the Standing Committee and Chief of Veterinary Department Dr R B S Tyagi. But no one was available for comments.
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Canning the Canines |
After getting flak over dog paw marks on the athletes' beds and dog poo in the kitchen sink, authorities launched a drive against the canines. Around 100 stray dogs have been rounded up from the Commonwealth Games Village and other Games venues by the Capital's civic authority in coordination with an NGO, an official said Friday. The stray dogs were having a free run of the Village and other areas, raising concerns among participating countries. They were rounded up by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Friendicoes SECA (Society for the Eradication of Cruelty to Animals) and temporarily relocated to a dog sterilisation centre at Ghazipur. Similar drives are being carried out in all the 17 Games venues.u00a0 Two ambulances with six dog catchers are going around the venue to round up the dogs. |