Uggah (fourth right), DVS acting director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud (second right) and others are being briefed by security unit director Dato Dr Chai Kin Chung.
Rabies
KUCHING: A large scale rabies vaccination exercise for pets will be held tomorrow (July 29) at the Arang Road Basketball Court.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas announced this yesterday in a statement issued by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, following his visit to the committee’s operations room at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
“Members of the public living within a 10-km radius of Sungai Maong Wet Market (declared as a rabies-infected area on Tuesday) can come to get the anti-rabies vaccination on that day from 10am to 4pm,” he said in the statement.
Uggah, who is the committee chairman, visited the operations room on the 19th floor, Wisma Bapa Malaysia here, about 7pm yesterday to be updated on the steps and activities being taken and planned to control the spread of rabies.
On a related development, the committee also mentioned that 56 new cases of dog bites were reported to the Sarawak Health Department yesterday, comprising 38 cases in Kuching, 14 in Serian and two each in Sri Aman and Samarahan.
This brings the cumulative number of dog bites reported since April 1 to 1,016 cases.
“A total 41 of these new cases were administered with anti-rabies vaccines. Up to today (yesterday), a total 624 persons had been vaccinated,” it said.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee also mentioned that the vaccines will only be administered to a patient depending on the diagnosis done by the doctor.
It advised members of the public who have been bitten by suspected rabid dogs or other animals, to immediately apply soap or detergent on the wound before washing it under running water, or washing the wound with 70 per cent ethanol or iodine solution, before seeking further medical attention at the nearest clinic or hospital.
The committee also mentioned that the Veterinary Services Department vaccinated 143 dogs yesterday, bringing the total of animals vaccinated so far to 18,287 comprising 10,655 dogs, 7,595 cats and 45 other animals.
It also said the DVS had organised 121 rabies awareness campaigns in villages and schools participated by 25,682 people.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) expressed their concern on talks of stray dogs being beaten to death due to suspicion of being rabies carriers.
Its president Datin Dona Drury Wee said such action is cruel and she hoped those involved will be prosecuted under the law.
“We saw some photos and videos of people using sticks and pipes to hit the dogs. This is against the law and they should face charges,” she said.
She went on to say that the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) concept is the only way to control the population of stray dogs.
On the other hand, Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai said stray dogs caught by its team under the current anti-rabies operation will be handed over to the DVS for further action.
He revealed 90 dogs had been caught in DBKU areas following a directive received from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee on Friday.
“We are also helping the other local authorities to catch dogs in other areas. This is because of our advantage; we are the only local authority which has tranquiliser guns.
With that, it is easier for us to catch the dogs.
“So far, our team has caught a total 148 dogs, including the 90 dogs in DBKU areas,” he added.
He also mentioned that a DBKU team also sent to Serian on July 14 to catch stray dogs due to the advantage of having these tranquiliser guns.
To a question, he said the team had not encountered any incident of being bitten by dogs and all the team members had been vaccinated to protect them from being infected with the rabies virus.