Boy loses eyeball in stray dogs attack

ATTOCK:

The municipal authorities in Hazro town of Attock swing into action after stray dogs mauled an eight-year-old boy besides depriving him of his eyeball.

The sad incident was reported in Khagwani village in Chhachh area of Hazro tehsil when Ayan Shah was going to a local mosque to offer prayers. A group of stray dogs attacked him. Later some passersby come to rescue him when they heard the screams of the child. They shifted him to the tehsil headquarters hospital Hazro from where he was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad due to his critical condition.

According to Dr Muhammad Naeem, medical superintendent of THQ hospital, the child’s left eyeball has been lost, the right ball is intact while the lids are lost, and critical wounds on the chest and private body parts were found when the boy was brought to the hospital. Surgery is not available in the district.

Deputy district officer health Dr Abdul Rasheed said that the victim was provided anti-rabies vaccination and other basic treatment and the boy's condition is out of danger so far.

Responding to a question, he said that the boy was in a state of shock and was referred to PIMS for a better cure as related surgery is not available in the area.

“Soon after the incident came to the notice of local administration, the entire sanitary staff of municipal committee was mobilised and massive operation against stray dogs in Chhachh area was launched”, said assistant commissioner Kamran Asharf.

Different teams were formed and the operation has been launched in hotspot areas, he said, adding that about 100 stray dogs were neutralised during the operation to eliminate the stray dogs from the area causing constant threats to the masses.

The relatives of the ill-fated boy cried in the THQ hospital that the menace has increased manifold in their areas. They added that the stray dogs’ menace could not be reduced due to the sheer negligence of relevant civic agencies’ authorities.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2023.