Mobile clinics to tend to livestock at farmers’ homes in Mysuru, C’nagar

Mysuru: The state animal husbandry department has sanctioned 12 mobile veterinary clinics (MVUs) for Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts in order to ensure veterinary care services at people’s doorsteps.
These vehicles for veterinary healthcare have equipment for diagnosis, treatment, and minor surgery, as well as audio-visual aids and other basic requirements for the treatment of animals. Each vehicle has a veterinarian and a livestock inspector. It has facilities for medicines, an audio-visual screen for extension activities, a siren, and many other facilities.
The vehicle will reach farmers’ doorstep to provide life-saving treatment only to sick animals. Farmers must go to the nearest veterinary hospitals to avail treatment for lumpy skin disease, foot mouth disease, fever, cough and minor problems.
As soon as a call on the department helpline number 1962 is made, the vehicle will reach the spot after collecting the address from farmers.
These vehicles, which are funded by the Union government, will be maintained by the state animal husbandry department. Until the appointment of an agency, respective District Milk Union veterinary staff and state animal husbandry veterinary department staff will maintain the vehicle. The staff operating the vehicles must submit the reports to the government on a daily basis about providing treatment to animals, location and other details. They must mention the type of treatment provided to the animals.
Chamarajanagar has 4.3 lakh cattle head, 9,836 buffaloes, 1.35 lakh goats, 1.44 lakh sheep, seven lakh chickens, 1548 pigs.
Mysuru district has 5.4 lakh cattle heads, 23,000 buffaloes, 2.3 lakh sheep, 1.7 lakh goats, 30 lakh chickens and 2,731 pigs, said sources.
Chamarajanagar deputy director of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences Dr Shivanna said, the state government has sanctioned a total of five MVUs to his district. One old MVU is functioning now.
A MVU will be sent to taluks like Chamarajanagar, Hanur, Gundlupet, Kollegal and Yelandur as soon as the department gets the vehicle.
Speaking to TOI, deputy director of animal husbandry department of Mysore district Dr Shadaksharappa said the district already has received its quota of seven MVUs last month. Each vehicle will be sent to every taluk of the district like T Narasipur, HD Kote, Nanjangud, Mysuru, Hunsur, Periyapatna, K R Nagar once there are sufficient staff, doctors, drivers to operate MVUs, he said.
Though the initiative of the government to allot MVUs appears to be a boon for livestock farmers, the government must immediately deploy sufficient staff to make this mobile unit a success and beneficial for farming community, said Baradanapura Nagaraj, Chamarajanagar Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha vice-president.