Hospital records indicate that nearly 6,700 individuals were treated for dog bites at the Badulla Teaching Hospital within last year.
Hospital authorities point out that foreign tourists are also among those frequently affected by such attacks, while a significant number of the victims being young children.
Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa of the Emergency Treatment Unit at the Badulla Teaching Hospital, commenting on this matter, stated, “The situation has worsened due to bites from dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated for rabies and are kept as pets at homes. On average, around 25,000 to 30,000 individuals reportedly seek human rabies vaccines from across the Uva Province.”
In addition to this, hospital records also reveal that foreign tourists, particularly those bitten by toque macaque monkeys and dogs in the Ella area, have also sought medical treatment at the Badulla Teaching Hospital.
In light of these developments, the presence of a large number of stray dogs in the Badulla city has become a growing concern, posing an additional risk to the local residents and tourists.
