Pujut man bitten by dogs given tetanus jab

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Dr Wong (left) fields questions from reporters on the rabies scare.

MIRI: Miri Hospital yesterday clarified that the man who was rushed to the hospital after being bitten by a stray dog in Pujut last Saturday night was given outpatient treatment.

Hospital director Dr Jack Wong said the patient was also given a tetanus injection and not the rabies vaccine as reported in the local media

“It is not true that the man received a rabies jab or was put under quarantine in the hospital after being bitten. He only received outpatient treatment and was given a tetanus jab, a normal procedure,” Dr Wong said when asked by reporters for an update on the rabies scare in Miri yesterday.

He said there was no incident of rabies in Miri ‘like what is reported by the State Disaster Management Committee in Kuching’.

“We do get cases of patients bitten by stray dogs including the latest one at Pujut 7, but all are normal dog bites. However, the public should heed the advice of the committee to take extra precautions, and should they be bitten by animals such as dogs, cats or monkeys, they should wash the wounds with water and soap for 15 minutes and subsequently seek immediate medical treatment,” he said.

On the current dry spell and in anticipation of a rise in respiratory-related cases, Dr Wong reminded the public to take necessary precautions. The elderly and the sick are advised to keep themselves indoors and away from the hazy weather.

“So far, we have not received any drastic surge in the number of patients seeking treatment for respiratory-related health problems,” Dr Wong said.