Thane boy dies weeks after dog bite; hospital says he received anti-rabies shots

Thane: A 12-year-old boy from Maharashtra’s Thane district died weeks after being bitten by a stray dog, his family has said, prompting the local MLA to allege negligence by government hospitals.

The government hospital where the child was taken immediately after the dog bite said he was given anti-rabies shots and tetanus injections.

A dog bit the boy from the Bhiwandi area on January 10, following which his family took him to the state-run IGM Hospital in the area. He was referred to Thane Civil Hospital and later brought back to the same Bhiwandi facility. His family took him home after treatment.

However, the boy’s condition deteriorated after a few weeks. He was rushed to a civic hospital in Mumbai, where he died on January 30.

A doctor from IGM Hospital said the boy was given anti-rabies and tetanus injections after he was brought there for the first time. It is still not clear if he died due dog bite or some other reason, according to local doctors.

Bhiwandi MLA Rais Shaikh, who is from the Samajwadi Party, said “stray dogs and resultant deaths” have become a concern. He claimed a shortage of medicines at government hospitals in the area and accused the staff of negligence.

“I’ll raise this issue in the assembly,” he said on Saturday.