Mohali: Seven people, including a woman, suffered dog bite injuries across Mohali, Zirakpur, Kharar, and Nayagaon within a 24-hour window, sparking fresh panic and criticism over emergency healthcare gaps.The most severe scare occurred in Sanauli village near Zirakpur around 10.30 pm on Tuesday, when a pack of stray dogs attacked four people within a short span. Pooja, a local resident, was targeted right outside her house. “A stray dog suddenly pounced on me, scratching my arm and biting my leg,” she said. Three migrant labourers were also attacked in the same vicinity around the same time.The incidents also exposed major communication lapses at public health facilities. Pooja alleged that she was denied anti-rabies treatment at the community health centre (CHC) in Dhakoli late at night because staff claimed it was out of stock. She had to be shifted to a govt hospital in Panchkula to receive the vaccine.Gagan Singla, pharmacy officer at CHC Dhakoli, later clarified that adequate vaccine stock was available but had not been moved to the emergency ward due to a govt holiday on Monday. “The emergency staff failed to inform the patient about the availability of the vaccine within the hospital,” Singla admitted, promising to prevent future communication lapses.Residents trace the population boom to unmonitored local habits. Blaming the surge on indiscriminate feeding, Pooja noted, “Some residents regularly feed stray dogs without any mechanism for their sterilisation or management, leading to a rise in their numbers.” Local residents have demanded an immediate drive to curb the threat.The menace has increasingly disrupted daily life in urban pockets of Zirakpur, Kharar, and Nayagaon. In Lohgarh (Zirakpur), Charanjit Singh was attacked during a morning walk with his grandson. To protect the child, Charanjit lifted him onto his shoulders, sustaining a bite on his own leg in the process.In Kharar, teenagers were targeted during recreation. “I was playing cricket with my friends in my neighbourhood when a pack of stray dogs charged at them,” said local resident Anmol. While most escaped, Anmol was bitten on the arm and his friend on the leg; both were vaccinated at a local hospital.Commuters face a similar hazard. Vinod Kumar of Nayagaon was bitten on his ankle while riding his motorcycle, noting that pack attacks on two-wheelers are now a daily occurrence. “Many riders either suffer dog bites or lose control of their vehicles while trying to escape the animals,” Kumar said.Affected residents across the towns are now urging civic bodies to execute sustained sterilisation and vaccination drives, alongside removing aggressive dogs from high-density neighbourhoods.
