A woman engaged in the Census 2027 door-to-door survey, an NMC dog-catching van driver, and a resident were bitten by a dog in Sadar on Wednesday, highlighting serious lapses in pet regulation, emergency response, and safety of frontline field staff.
Incident Unfolds
The incident escalated into chaos when the civic team sent to capture the dog also came under attack. Further compounding the situation, anti-rabies injections were allegedly unavailable at Mayo Hospital, forcing authorities to shift the injured Census worker to a private hospital.
According to Dharampeth zone assistant commissioner Rajkumar Meshram, a teacher associated with a private school in Seminary Hills, Simmi Charlie, had visited Mount Road in Sadar Basti for official survey work. While Charlie was engaged in Census work, a dog rushed out of a house and bit her. A neighbor who rushed to help Charlie was also bitten.
Meshram stated that the team rushed the injured woman to Mayo Hospital, but due to unavailability of anti-rabies vaccine there, she was shifted to a private hospital.
Civic Team Also Attacked
The situation worsened when NMC's dog-catching team arrived. Roshan Mallik, driver of the capture van, was also bitten when the dog turned aggressive during the operation. Officials admitted the team lacked a capture net, hampering efforts to restrain the animal. The dog was eventually captured and shifted to Bhandewadi rescue centre for observation.
Hospital Response Discrepancy
Meanwhile, medical superintendent of Mayo Hospital, Dr. Nitin Shinde, claimed that anti-rabies vaccines and serum are available at the hospital. He explained that patients arriving after 2pm are asked to return the next day for vaccination because once a vial is opened, the vaccine has to be administered to at least four patients. Doctors later said Charlie's condition was stable and she was discharged in the evening. The neighbor who was bitten by the dog reportedly arranged for the anti-rabies injection on his own, while the van driver was taken to a hospital in Imambada.
Broader Concerns
The incident has once again underscored the growing threat posed not only by stray dogs but also by unregulated pet animals in residential areas. Similar complaints have earlier been raised by Orange City Water (OCW) staff involved in water meter reading, who reported being chased or attacked during field visits.
With thousands of dog bite cases already reported across the city in the past year, the incident has renewed concerns over safety of frontline workers engaged in essential door-to-door services in Nagpur.
