Kathmandu, June 1

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has begun a sterilisation and anti-rabies campaign to control stray dog population and reduce dog bites cases.

A notice issued by the Urban Health Division of KMC recently had urged all 32 ward chairs to cooperate with and support the technical and medical team deployed by the KMC for the purpose.

According to Urban Health Division chief Hari Kumar Shrestha, the team will sterilise all stray dogs and vaccinate them against rabies within one year, if they receive full support from local leaders and communities. “Before the dogs are neutered, we need to give them a complete dose of anti-rabies vaccine,” he said, adding that the process was cumbersome as the team had to be extra careful not to harm any dogs or be harmed by them.

Director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital Manisha Rawal said an average of 2,500 people a month receive the anti-rabies vaccine from the hospital. Of them, 95 per cent are dog bite patients. She also said that dog bite cases were increasing every year.

“On days like Sunday and Wednesday an average of 800 people per day receive the anti-rabies vaccine,” Rawal added.

Although the anti-rabies vaccine is provided for free by the government, private hospitals and clinics charge anything from Rs 550 to Rs 800 for the same.  The government spends at least Rs 6.25 million per month to vaccinate people against rabies.