Stray dogs abound in Victoria hospital

BENGALURU: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) had instructed institutions, including government hospitals, to furnish information about the presence of stray dogs on their premises. However, the information has not been supplied; instead, stray dogs are roaming the hospital premises, wards and OPDs.

Moreover, there is no space available for a shelter for these dogs. According to the Supreme Court’s directive, stray dogs must be provided shelter and undergo sterilization.

Consequently, the GBA again ordered the government hospitals to provide data on stray dogs , but it has still not been submitted. Nevertheless, the menace of stray dogs in government hospitals remains rampant.

At Vani Vilas Hospital, street dogs occupy space right in front of the OPD centre. Patients queue up for treatment and dogs are roaming everywhere without fear. Similarly, at Victoria Hospital the stray dog problem is severe, where thousands of patients move around while the dogs roam freely.

While stray dogs are seen in government hospitals, the GBA is unable to find space to set up shelters for them. Out of five municipal corporations, only the West City Municipality has a shelter; the other four divisions cannot find space for the shelters.