Thirty-one rabies deaths in 2012 in NWP

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

Thirty-one persons including six schoolchildren died of rabies last year.

The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Health Authorities have decided to conduct 12,000 awareness programs islandwide to educate schoolchildren at the beginning of academic year 2013.

A Senior Director of Education in Kurunegala J.M. Suriyabandara Herath told The Sunday Observer that stray dogs, pups and bitches roam about in school premises. Some residents who live close to schools dump pups at schools to be fed by the children.

Almsot all schools in the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts of the NWP face the stray dog problem at present.

This is a threat to teachers and students and hence the authorities should take steps to remove these stray dogs from the school premises to save students from possible attacks by stray dogs.

The government spends Rs. 1,000 million annually to treat those bitten by dogs.