Soon, vans equipped with medicines, equipment and veterinary doctors would be making rounds in faraway places of Telangana to treat ailing cattle, sheep and other livestock of farmers.

The Animal Husbandry department is preparing itself to launch mobile veterinary clinics in 70 rural Assembly constituencies. Carrying ailing heavyweight cattle to the hospitals which are kilometres away is something which farmers are not inclined towards and the mobile clinics will be catering to such farmers as well.

“With lack of labour, people are not taking their cattle to hospitals. This mobile service will be helpful to such farmers as well. In the first phase, we selected 70 constituencies which do not have enough veterinary hospitals,” Dr Y Thirupathaiah, Additional Director of Animal Husbandry Department, said. The department plans to hire vans and thereafter buy vehicles on its own. Around ` 218 lakh is allotted to the initiative for the months of January to March. “Funds will be allotted for coming financial year as well,” Dr Thirupathaiah said. The department is hiring retired doctors and assistants on contract basis.

VET PUSH

Retired veterinary doctors to be hired on contract basis
A toll-free number to be launched for farmers to avail the service
Much needs to be done to improve the service
Department plans to hire vans for now