Uttar Pradesh: Stray dogs spotted inside Sitapur District Hospital wards

HARDOI: The apathy of the district hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur came to the public eye when a number of stray dogs were spotted inside the wards of the hospital, along with patients in Hardoi.

People at the hospital said, "We are scared, but if we complain to the staff, they say just shoo the dogs away by yourself."

Speaking on the issue, the Chief Medical Officer said, "We've taken cognizance of it and have deployed staff to not let this happen."

This comes a time when increasing incidents of dog attacks have rattled the Sitapur city of Uttar Pradesh.

Turning a deaf ear to the menace, State minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Saturday said the government cannot be held responsible for the same.

The menace began on May 1, when stray dogs began attacking children in Sitapur and nearby areas. To tackle the issue, the administration had called a dog catcher team from Mathura, but it was later sent back.

Since November, 14 kids have reportedly been killed and several others injured in such attacks.

The incidents have led to formation of a committee by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Effective action should be taken by forming joint teams comprising officials of the police department, animal health department, nagar palika and nagar panchayat. A team of experts from Lucknow and Bareilly should be called, and a probe be done in this regard," Adityanath had said.

The administration had also announced that drones and night vision binoculars would be used to track the dogs and observe their activities.