In order to provide veterinary services at the farmers’ doorstep based on the phone calls received at the call centre, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India launched mobile veterinary units (MVUs) from Karnataka.
The veterinary units were inaugurated by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala in the presence of Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka Chief Minister and Prabhu B Chavan, Karnataka Minister for Animal Husbandry.
The overall aim of the ‘Livestock Health & Disease Control programme’ of Government of India is to improve animal health by way of implementation of prophylactic vaccination programmes against various diseases of livestock and poultry, capacity building, disease surveillance and strengthening of veterinary infrastructure.
Rupala during the inauguration event announced that in order to increase the accessibility of veterinary services at farmers’ doorsteps, funds for mobile veterinary units (MVUs) would be provided to the states and union territories under this scheme @ 1 MVU for every one lakh livestock population. These MVUs will be customised fabricated vehicles for veterinary healthcare with equipment for diagnosis, treatment and minor surgery, audio visual aids and other basic requirements for the treatment of animals.
The minister said that this was the best programme to assist farmers and dairy owners to take care of the health of their dairy animals at the right time and to double the farmers’ income thereby uplifting their economic status by utilising these mobile veterinary vehicles in the right manner.
The minister urged the farmers’ community and dairy owners and each and everyone who was involved in dairy activities to utilise the 290 mobile veterinary vehicles for all the veterinary services by calling toll free animal helpline number 1962.
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The call centre would function as the pivot whilst rendering the mobile veterinary services. It should receive calls from livestock rearers, and animal owners and transmit them to the veterinary doctor at the call centre. The decision of directing the MVU would be on the emergent nature of the veterinary case as decided by the veterinary doctor at the call centre. The call centre would also confirm actual services through the UID and mobile number of the animal owner and share the data with the state concerned.
Karnataka has been sanctioned with 290 mobile veterinary vehicles against 289 lakh animal population, which will operate throughout the state by the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Rs 44 crores has been sanctioned to procure 275 new veterinary services fabricated vehicles @ Rs 16 lakhs per vehicle. The remaining 15 already existing pashu sanjivini vans will be utilised to match up 290 required vehicles.
The operationalisation cost per vehicle is 18.72 lakhs per year which is about Rs 54.75 crore will be borne by the Central and state government in 60:40 ratio. Each vehicle has a veterinary doctor, livestock inspector and driver cum attendant and having the facility of medicines, audio visual screen for extension activities, siren and many more as for the need. Government of India will release Rs 32.57 crore for operationalisation cost for 290 vehicles and the remaining Rs 28.15 crore has to be borne by state governments.
Establishment & Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals & Dispensaries – Mobile Veterinary Units (ESVHD-MVUs)
The component ‘ESVHFD-MVU’ under Central sector scheme ‘Livestock Health & Disease Control’ provides veterinary health services at farmers’ doorsteps through mobile veterinary units. The services are to be operated through call centres in the states and UTs. The farmers, in case of any emergency, will make calls to these call centres and after prioritising the emergencies, the services for diagnosis and treatment will be provided by a team of veterinarians and para-veterinarian in these mobile veterinary units.
