12-Year-Old Boy Dies Weeks After Dog Bite in Thane; MLA Alleges Hospital Negligence
Mumbai: A 12-year-old boy from Maharashtra’s Thane district died several weeks after being bitten by a dog, despite having received anti-rabies vaccinations, his family has alleged. The incident has triggered political controversy, with local MLA Rais Shaikh accusing government hospitals of negligence and medicine shortages.
The boy, a resident of Bhiwandi, was bitten by a dog on January 10. His family immediately rushed him to the state-run IGM Hospital in Bhiwandi, where doctors administered anti-rabies vaccines along with a tetanus injection. He was later referred to Thane Civil Hospital for further evaluation and subsequently brought back to IGM Hospital, from where he was discharged.
According to hospital officials, the child received the standard post-bite treatment. “The boy was given anti-rabies vaccines and a tetanus injection during his first visit,” a doctor from IGM Hospital said, adding that it is still not medically confirmed whether the death was directly caused by rabies or due to some other complication.
Several weeks after being discharged, the boy’s health reportedly deteriorated. He was rushed to a civic hospital in Mumbai, where he died on January 30.
The death has raised concerns over stray dog attacks and post-bite medical protocols. Bhiwandi MLA Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi Party termed the incident alarming and alleged lapses in the public healthcare system. “Stray dog incidents and resultant deaths have become a serious concern. There is a shortage of medicines in government hospitals, and negligence by hospital staff cannot be ruled out,” Shaikh said.
He added that he would raise the issue in the Maharashtra Assembly, seeking accountability and corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Health authorities are yet to issue an official report on the exact cause of death.
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