KDMC Serves Notice to Kalyan Hospital Doctor Over False Dog Bite Report

The medical officer at Rukminibai Hospital in Kalyan has been served a show-cause notice by civic administration authorities after allegedly disseminating incorrect figures regarding dog bite cases, municipal officials confirmed on Wednesday. The action stems from an incident on Sunday when inaccurate patient numbers were released.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deepa Shukla issued the notice to Dr. Sandeep Pagare, a medical officer at the Kalyan facility. Dr. Pagare had claimed that 130 individuals were bitten by dogs on Sunday. However, official records confirmed that Rukminibai Hospital had actually attended to 58 dog bite patients on that day. Civic authorities stated that Dr. Pagare failed to verify the official records before making the higher claim.

The release of the inflated figures caused visible panic among residents and led to criticism of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). Local residents and activists had raised questions concerning the apparent apathy of the civic administration following the public spread of the unverified data.

Under the terms of the notice issued by Dr. Shukla, Dr. Pagare has been directed to submit his official response within a strict 24-hour window. The civic administration cautioned that in the event he fails to deliver a reply within the stipulated timeframe, officials will proceed under the assumption that he has nothing to say and will initiate appropriate disciplinary action against him.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior doctor commented on the incident, stating that Dr. Pagare likely failed to obtain the correct information and released the details without confirming the actual position on the ground. The senior doctor added that the notice is likely to serve as a warning to other staff members at the facility not to casually share sensitive information without confirming facts beforehand.