While these guidelines were passed in 2015 by BBMP , their support to victims of such bites (going up to 10,000 for severe bites) is a fair move. As many people are unaware of this, particularly the less advantaged, it is important to share for the record. Please read below the two important snippets relating to procedure and the compensation.
04. Procedure:-
01. The contents of the complaint:- As far as possible the victim of an attack by stray dog/s and if he/she is a minor through a minor guardian, on the same day to file a complaint before the Jurisdictional Police, as far as possible giving detailed account of the attack, including of the following:-
i. Description of the attacking dog/s
ii. The date, time and place of the attack by the stray dog/s
iii. The behavior of the dog/s prior to the attack.
iv. How the attack began. A detailed account of the same.
v. What the victim did during and after the attack.
vi. Whether there were any witnesses and their reaction to the attack.
vii. Statement of a witness/es and;
viii.Photograph/document that are relevant to the attack including
photograph/document of the injury sustained by the victim.
05. Treatment to the victim of attack by stray dog/s :-
(1) The incidence Report:- Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry-BBMP), immediately after an attack to a victim by a stray dog/s, on receiving an information, shall rush to the spot, inspect and submit incidence report to the Deputy Director(Animal Husbandry-BBMP).
(2) The Co-ordination between Medical Officer of Health & Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry-BBMP):- The Medical Officer of Health(Public Health), shall co-ordinate with Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry-BBMP) and assist in obtaining free Anti-rabies vaccination and Anti-rabies immunoglobulin to the victim of an attack by stray dog/s.
(3) The Medical Officer of Health(Public Health), shall co-ordinate with Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry-BBMP) and assist in obtaining free medical treatment to the victim of an attack by the stray dog/s as an out- patient and also assist in obtaining free medical treatment, if necessary, as an inpatient in the nearby Government Hospitals/BBMP Hospitals/ Referral Hospitals/Private Hospital/s
(4) Medical Officer of Health(Public Health), shall co-ordinate and shall supervise of the victim atleast for a period of three months atleast from the date of attack.
(5) In case of emergency victim may be attended to at any nearby private hospital/s.
(6) Stray dog/s bite/s wound to be kept open and to be washed in running water with any detergent/Soap. Stray dog/s bite/s wound shall not ordinarily be sutured, if inevitable shall be done under the cover of administration of Rabies immunoglobulin. If found sutured, without the cover the Rabies immunoglobulin, the BBMP will have no responsibility to the consequences.
(7) The Chief Health Officer is responsible in ensuring that, the medicines including ARV/ARS are available at all the times in all BBMP Hospitals/Health Centre
6.Application for Compensation :-
(1) The claim Application:- The Victim of an attack by the stray dog/s and if he/she is minor through a minor guardian to file an application in Form- 1, duly filled in, alongwith Wound Certificate in Form No.IV which shall give the description of the injury/bite/s,suffered by the victim, issued by the Medical Officer before the Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry) of the Zone concerned, within thirty days from the date of attack, enclosing the necessary documents, inclusive of original prescriptions, (including the prescription from Private Hospital) Receipts/Medical bills from General Medical Store,Private hospital, copy of the complaint, etc.,
6
(2) The Submission of claim application through on line: The claim application, as have been stated under Guideline No.6(1) above, could also be submitted to the notified authority even through online, to the specified website. Such submission shall come into effect from the date of notification, specifically stated in detail by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bengaluru.
(3) The Explanation of delay:- In case of delay, in filing an application in Form-I, reason/s for delay to be explained against SL No.19 of Form-I by which he/she was prevented in filing application in time.
(4) The Investigation by the Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry):- After receiving the application in Form-I, Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry) of the concerned zone to investigate into the matter and to draw a mahazar as above, by going to the spot.
(5)The Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry), to ensure in such investigation that:
i. There was no warning of the attack by the stray dog/s to the victim and the victim never had anticipated the risk;
ii. There was no provocation by the victim to enrage the stray dog/s ;
iii. There was no negligence on the part of the victim before the attack took place;
iv. The witnesses if any, state that they saw no fault on the part of the victim and the victim has been attacked by the stray dog/s.
v. The attack was not by a pet dog/s or by a breeding dog/s but it was by a stray dog/s only.
The Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry), to prepare a report in writing accordingly.
(6) The Procedure in sending the claim Application to the Office of the Joint Commissioner(Health):- The Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry), shall forward the said application with its enclosures, with his recommendation to the Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry), within seven days, who shall cause to enter each application in a separately maintained register in Form-II, disclosing the name of the victim, date of attack, address, amount claimed towards medical expenses and forward the same to the Joint Director(Animal Husbandry), Head Office of BBMP.
(7) The Joint Director(Animal Husbandry), Head Office of BBMP, after scrutiny of the records, with his/her recommendation shall place the file before the Joint Commissioner(Health), the Authority in determining the compensation amount payable.
7
07.Procedure for Determination of Compensation : -
01.The Office Procedure of the Office of the Joint Commissioner (Health):- The Office of the Joint Commissioner(Health), after the receipt of the Claim Application, through the Joint Director(Animal Husbandry) shall continue with the process.
02.Project Co-ordinator for Human Rabies Control Programme, now at Pobbathi Maternity Home, Sajjan Rao Circle, V V Puram, Bengaluru, shall be the Officer in co-ordinating with the office of Joint Commissioner (Health), in processing the claims.
03. The Authority in determining the compensation shall determine in writing the compensation amount (including medical expenses, if any incurred) payable.
04. The Deputy Directory(Animal Husbandry) shall assist the Authority and co-ordinate in the matter of determination of compensation amount payable.
05. The Office of the Joint Commissioner(Health), shall maintain a register in Form-III, in which the details of the disposed off cases shall be entered appropriately, to enable to assist the Department of Statistics and Finance, and to obtain the initials of the Joint Commissioner (Health) denoting the correctness of the entries made therein and shall forward back the file to the Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), who shall forward the same to the Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry) of the Zone.
06.The Assistant Director(Animal Husbandry) of the Zone shall make arrangements for payment, placing request to the Zonal Joint Commissioner.
Trust this is useful to those who seek treatment and compensation in the unlikely and untoward incidence of a dog bite.