Stray dog attacks 5-year-old girl on Kottayam Medical College premises

Kottayam: A five-year-old girl was bitten on the neck by a stray dog on the premises of the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital on Thursday morning. The child also suffered injuries on her face.

The child, the daughter of Vinnu, a resident of Pattithanam near Ettumanoor, was attacked around 9.30 am while she was sitting beneath a tree opposite the restroom near the Podipara building on the hospital premises.

Vinnu was standing nearby with her infant. The family had reached the hospital to seek treatment at the Orthopaedics Department for a swelling on the child's leg. As the department was crowded, they moved towards the Podipara building, hoping to wait until the rush subsided. The dog attacked the child during this time.

She was rushed to the Medical College Children's Hospital and admitted. Doctors said her condition was satisfactory and that she was under the care of the Pediatric Surgery Department.

The wounds were not severe, said doctors, adding that anti-rabies vaccinations were administered and that stitches may be considered after 24 hours of observation, if required.

Food waste blamed for stray dog menace
The easy availability of food in the Medical College Hospital compound is being cited as a major reason for the increasing presence of stray dogs in the area.

Housekeeping staff said the number of patients and visitors discarding food packets on the premises had increased. They alleged that some people collected extra food packets, took the curries and threw the rice within the hospital compound.

Dogs were seen roaming freely across different parts of the hospital premises, posing a risk to patients and bystanders, they said, adding that there were complaints that the Arpookkara panchayat, responsible for taking action, had failed to address the issue.