District Health Officer (DHO) Gracewell Matewe was responding to wide spread concerns that cases of dog bites are being returned from the district's health facilities.

Matewe said the DHO's funding for procuring medical drugs and other supplies is not enough to buy large stocks of ant- rabies vaccine.

He said his office is sometimes relying on other district health facilities to help but it is not always that they can help because it is very expensive.

"If we can decide to buy a large stock of anti-rabies drugs today the decision will affect procurement of other medical supplies. The cost of buying anti- rabies drugs is more expensive than our funding," he said.

He added: "Sometimes we rely on other district health facilities to help us but it is not always that they can supply us since they are also struggling to procure them because of high prices."

Cases of dog bites have of late increased on Likoma Island, a development which stakeholders say could deteriorate if not properly managed.

Likoma Acting District Agriculture Development Officer (DADO) Patrick Chavula has accused owners of domestic dogs for alleged non-compliance to take their dogs to veterinary clinics for anti-rabies vaccination.

"The problem that we have is that owners are not coming with their dogs for anti-rabies vaccination at our veterinary clinic. This could have helped to reduce suspected cases of rabies at the island," he explained.

Chavula said the cost of vaccinating a dog is cheaper than the cost of treating a rabies case.

He has since advised owners of domestic dogs to use the veterinary clinic services so that suspected cases of rabies can be reduced.

There is also a rise in the number of stray dogs on the island district.

There have been calls to eliminate the dogs that invade villages looking for food but end up preying on people and livestock.

There have been no attempts from the agriculture or forestry departments to respond to the situation as they two seem not to agree on how to handle the situation.

While the agriculture office thinks that stray dogs belong to the forest, the forestry department says they are domesticated.