Dog Bite Incident in Thane: Minor Boy Dies Weeks After Being Bitten by Stray Dog in Bhiwandi; Hospital Says Victim Received Anti-Rabies Shots As Local MLA Alleges Negligence

Thane, February 1: A 12-year-old boy from Maharashtra's Bhiwandi passed away on January 30, nearly three weeks after being bitten by a stray dog, his family and local officials confirmed this weekend. The death has sparked an intense political row, with local representatives alleging systemic negligence and a shortage of life-saving medicines at state-run medical facilities in the district.

While hospital authorities maintain that the child received the standard post-exposure prophylaxis, an investigation is currently underway to determine if the cause of death was rabies or an unrelated medical complication. Dog Attack in Dombivli: Pack of Stray Dogs Attack Child, Drag Him in Thane; Shocking Video Surfaces.

Timeline of the Dog Bite Incident

The incident began on January 10, when the boy was attacked by a stray dog in the Bhiwandi area. His family initially took him to the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital, where medical staff administered anti-rabies and tetanus injections. Due to the nature of the case, he was referred to Thane Civil Hospital for further evaluation before being sent back to the Bhiwandi facility and eventually discharged.

However, the boy’s health began to deteriorate significantly last week. He was rushed to a civic-run hospital in Mumbai for specialized care, but he succumbed to his condition on Friday, January 30.

Hospital Defense and Medical Uncertainty

Doctors at IGM Hospital have defended their treatment protocol, asserting that all necessary vaccines were provided during the boy's initial visits. Despite the family's concerns, medical officials noted that it is "not yet clear" if the fatality was a direct result of the dog bite.

"The boy was given the appropriate anti-rabies shots and tetanus injections immediately," a senior doctor from IGM Hospital stated. A formal forensic report is expected to clarify whether the vaccine failed to trigger an immune response or if other health factors were involved. Thane Shocker: Pet Dog Bites Man, Then Canine’s Owner Attacks Victim With Cricket Bat for Confronting Him.

Allegations of Negligence in the Assembly

The tragedy has drawn sharp criticism from Bhiwandi MLA Rais Shaikh (Samajwadi Party), who visited the family and accused the local health administration of failing to manage the growing stray dog menace. Shaikh alleged that a persistent shortage of essential medicines at government hospitals has compromised patient safety. "Stray dogs and the resultant deaths have become a grave concern in our region," Shaikh said on Saturday. "I will be raising this issue in the upcoming Assembly session to demand accountability for the negligence and the lack of resources at our state-run hospitals".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2026 08:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).