Ranchi, Sep 24 (PTI) People involved in animal husbandry in Jharkhand will soon get better accessibility to veterinary healthcare services at their doorstep through mobile units, an official said.
The mobile veterinary units (MVUs) will be ultra-modern ambulances equipped with primary medical services, test facilities, veterinary doctors, and para workers.
The specially customised vehicles will have hydraulic facility to load the sick animals into the MVUs so that they can be taken to the nearest veterinary hospital or clinic in case of emergency, the official said.
State animal husbandry department secretary Abu Bakr Siddique told PTI, “We are aiming to roll out the service by the end of the year. Tender procedure to procure vehicles and set up a call centre in Ranchi has been initiated.
“Though the service will be provided free of cost, we are in the discussion stage if any token charge can be taken for treatment. The state will have to bear part of its operational cost while the Centre will bear the infrastructure cost of the service.” The MVUs will be made available in 236 blocks out of the total 261 blocks in all 24 districts of the state, another senior official in the department said.
An integrated call centre will be set up here in the state capital Ranchi and a toll-free number will be provided, the official said.
“The cattle farmers will have to place requirements for the mobile ambulance at the call centre following which the details of the farmer will be provided to the veterinary doctor of the respective block. The doctor will get details of the health of the sick animal from its owner. Depending on the seriousness of the case, he will prescribe medicine on call or visit the farmer’s place for treating the animal.
“ If its condition is found to be critical, the animal can be referred to a veterinary hospital through the same mobile ambulance,” state animal husbandry director Sashi Prakash Jha told PTI.
The mobile veterinary clinics will be run in public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The government will provide infrastructure while manpower will be outsourced by an implementing agency.
The agency will also maintain the call centre. Besides veterinary doctors, para-vets, and vehicle drivers will also be outsourced, he said.
A provision of Rs 16 lakh has been made for each vehicle which includes all expenses such as equipment, installation cost, and taxes.
The mobile ambulances would also attend to artificial insemination services and early veterinary diagnosis.
They will be used for vaccination programmes for the animals.
Mantu Mahto, a cattle farmer from Chanho block in Ranchi, said, “After the launch of the service, we will get animal health care facility in just one call. Now, we have to run to animal health clinics or veterinary doctors for the treatment of our animals. If we get the service at our doorstep, it will also save our money and time.” The African swine fever recently killed more than 1,000 pigs in Jharkhand. PTI SAN MM MM
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