Karnataka Funds Private Hospitals In Bengaluru To Treat Dog Bites

The Karnataka government on Wednesday revised the order for giving compensation for injuries and deaths caused by stray dog bites in Bengaluru. The order has been issued for the Greater Bengaluru Region. 

It said a person who suffers skin punctures, deep bruising with punctures and lacerations, or multiple bite injuries from stray dogs will get Rs 5,000.

A similar order was passed in 2023, but the current order makes changes in the way the compensation amount is paid to those injured.

In the current order, of the Rs 5,000 that will be given to the injured, Rs 3,500 will be paid directly to the victim by Urban Development Department (UDD), and the remaining Rs 1,500 will go to the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (which is part of the Karnataka Health Department) for treatment.

This allows a victim to get immediate treatment at any private hospital as the initial expenses for treatment will be borne directly by the government and thus ensuring private hospitals don't deny treatment.  

Meanwhile, in the tragic event of a person's death due to stray dog attack or rabies caused by a stray dog bite, the victim's family will get Rs 5,00,000 as compensation.

All municipal corporations falling under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be required to set up a Verification and Compensation Disbursement Committee to assess cases and distribute the compensation.