Man suffers severe eye injury in stray dog attack

Thiruvananthapuram: A Poojapura resident suffered severe injuries to his right eye and face after being mauled by a stray dog near his house at Vettamukku on Sunday morning and is currently undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital.

Chandran (69) sustained serious injuries to his right eye, eyelid and lip in the attack. Doctors performed surgery, but his family said it was too early to determine whether his vision could be restored. He has six stitches on his lip and is receiving treatment for injuries to his eye and face.

According to family friend Anil Kumar, the incident occurred around 9.30am at Vettamukku-Kattachal Road, Poojapura, when Chandran stepped out to buy milk from a nearby shop. The dog suddenly charged at him and bit his face. His right eyelid was ripped off and he also suffered deep injuries to his lip. He was bleeding heavily when locals rushed to his rescue and chased the dog away.

Chandran was initially taken to general hospital and later shifted to Regional Institute of Ophthalmology before being referred to Thiruvananthapuram MCH for specialised treatment.

Meanwhile, relatives alleged that the treatment process gathered pace only after they approached chief minister’s office.

“We reached MCH around noon on Sunday. The surgery was completed only around 11pm and he was shifted to the ward around 3am on Monday. Doctors told us they needed more time to assess his eye condition and the chances of vision recovering. After we sought intervention from chief minister’s office, the procedures moved faster,” said Kumar.

Residents said stray dogs frequently gather in Kattachal area as some locals feed them. A complaint was filed with Poojappura police station seeking action. Locals alleged that stray dog attacks were reported from the area earlier too and demanded urgent intervention from authorities.