After the 108 ambulance service for humans, Tamil Nadu has moved further to implement a similar scheme for animals in distress with ambulances designed specially for veterinary care.
Just dial 1962, a toll-free number, and an Animal Mobile Medical Ambulance (AMMA) with animal-friendly design and equipped with ultrasound scan, oxygen cylinders, IV fluids and all emergency surgical equipment and medicines will attend to animals needing medical care.
A veterinarian also travels with the ambulance. Though the ambulance serviceis currently available only in Kancheepuram, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Namakkal and Madurai districts, the government has already accepted the proposal from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) to extend the service to other districts in a phased manner.
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“A first of its kind in the country, we have 10 ambulances, two each for a district, stationed at the borders of the districts so that we can reach out to local residents and neighbouring districts. In a 108 ambulance, you have only paramedics. But our ambulance has a full-time veterinarian,” said Dr. S. Thilagar, Vice-Chancellor of TANUVAS.
A call-centre has been set up on the TANUVAS campus in Madhavaram and the calls will be directed to the ambulances. The project cost is Rs. 6.93 crore.
Dr. Thilagar said the AMMA scheme was launched by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on September 21, two days before she was hospitalised. And, so far, over 2,000 calls have been received and attended to.
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“The veterinarian in the ambulance will treat the animal on the spot, and depending on the severity of the ailment/injury, the animal will be shifted to district hospitals or dispensaries run by the Animal Husbandry department or the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex in Tirunelveli, Orathanadu, Namakkal and Chennai free of cost,” he said.
R. Jayaprakash, Director of Clinics, TANUVAS and project officer for the scheme, said a directory of experts had also been compiled and the veterinarian on duty could be in touch with them while dealing with complicated cases.
“We have designed the ambulance in such a way that a hydraulic lift effortlessly pushes the animal into the cabin for transfer. We worked with a few body-building experts before achieving the desired design,” said Dr. Jayaprakash.
Dr. Thilagar said the design was so impressive that it has been decided to seek a patent in the name of TANUVAS.
He said the ambulance includes a ‘sychronisation’ programme to treat infertlie animals.
“The ambulance can also be pushed into service in case of outbreak of diseases,” he said.