KDMC Issues Notice to Doctor Over Inflated Kalyan Dog-Bite Figures
The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has issued a show-cause notice to medical officer Dr Sandeep Pagare for reportedly providing unverified and inflated dog-bite numbers to media outlets following a stray dog attack in the Khadakpada area of Kalyan West on Sunday. KDMC Medical Health Officer Dr Deepa Shukla issued the notice demanding a written response within 24 hours after official hospital figures contradicted the claims made to reporters.
According to official municipal records cited in the notice, 58 patients were treated for dog bites at Rukminibai Hospital on Sunday after a stray dog reportedly attacked residents near the Sandeep Hotel area in Khadakpada, Kalyan West. Despite these official entries, Dr Pagare allegedly told media personnel that between 110 and 130 people had been bitten by the animal and were undergoing medical care at Rukminibai Hospital.
In his statements to the media, Dr Pagare reportedly added that an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries during the attack and had to be shifted to Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion for specialized treatment.
The civic administration noted that the dissemination of these higher, unverified figures created significant panic across Khadakpada and the broader Kalyan region once the numbers gained wide circulation on social media platforms and news channels.
In addition to the conflicting figures, the show-cause notice raised serious procedural objections regarding how the media was approached. Under municipal regulations, civic officials are strictly required to route all statements and official information intended for the press through their concerned department head, the municipal commissioner, or the civic public relations department.
KDMC alleged that Dr Pagare bypassed these established communication protocols by speaking directly to news outlets without informing either the head of the medical health department or the public relations department.
The municipal administration has stated that if Dr Pagare fails to submit a formal explanation within the mandatory 24-hour timeframe, further disciplinary action will be proposed on the assumption that he has no justification to provide. The controversy has raised questions over how the figure of 110 to 130 dog-bite cases was originally derived when official records documented 58 treated patients.
