SRINAGAR: Forget dogs, cat bites have shown an alarming increase in Kashmir.
Official figures reveal Anti Rabies Clinic (ARC) SMHS Hospital received 5,964 dog and cat bite cases from April 1 2024 till September 27, 2024. These include 3015 dog bites and 2679 cat exposures.
“The cat exposure is increasing exponentially over the last few years as many people are keeping them as pets while almost all dog bites are reported from stray dogs,” said a doctor at ARC.
Figures released by the Anti-rabies Clinic revealed that over 55000 persons have been bitten by dogs from 2013 to 2023. Figures reveal that 6041 dog bite cases were reported to SMHS hospital in 2013-14, 7324 in 2015-16, 6548 in 2016-17, 6802 in 2017-18, 6399 in 2018-19, 6984 in 2019-20, and 4798 in 2020-21.
Every year, rabies kills over 55000 people with India sharing the maximum burden. Rabies has already been declared a notifiable disease by the J&K government.
On World Rabies Day, the Department of Community Medicine Government Medical College, Srinagar conducted multiple impactful events which include CME cum training sessions for medical staff and paramedical students and poster competitions.
The main program was held at UPHC Nishat which is the urban health training center of the Community Medicine Department and was inaugurated by Prof. Iffat Hassan, Principal/ Dean GMC Srinagar in the presence of Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan, Professor and HOD, Dr. Inaamul Haq, Dr. Mariya Amin from Community Medicine GMC Srinagar, Dr. Fara Shafi BMO Hazratbal and various functionaries.
The program featured a comprehensive training session for healthcare workers focusing on the management of animal bites and prevention of rabies and included technical presentations by Dr. Kouser Sideeq and Dr. Sameena Yousuf Dar, assistant professors, department of Community Medicine GMC Srinagar who were organizing secretaries of whole events. They made effective PowerPoint presentations on the management of animal exposure to prevent rabies followed by practical demonstrations by Insha Rehman Pharmacist, Anti-Rabies Clinic, UPHC, SMHS Srinagar.
Principal GMC Srinagar distributed certificates of appreciation and participation on the occasion. Simultaneously, a poster competition was held at the Anti-Rabies Clinic, UPHC SMHS Hospital, encouraging creative engagement and awareness. The poster competition was judged by Prof. M.Iqbal Pandit Dr. Waseem Raja and Dr. Muzamil Hassan from the Department of Community Medicine GMC Srinagar and the best three posters were presented with the certificates of merit in addition to certificates of participation for all presenters.
The collaborative effort aimed to enhance knowledge and strategies for rabies prevention, ultimately strengthening community health initiatives to achieve global rabies elimination by 2030 while using the holistic approach of One-Health.
