Animal Husbandry dept. to roll out mobile veterinary units; 29 vehicles to be flagged off today

Vehicles purchased under the Centrally sponsored ‘Livestock Health and Disease Control project’

Offering ‘doorstep services’ to livestock farmers, the State Animal Husbandry department is set to roll out a fleet of mobile veterinary units (MVU), which will provide their services for a fee.

Union Minister for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala and Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will on Thursday inaugurate 29 MVUs and a centralised call centre that can be contacted on the toll-free number 1962.

The MVU services would be available from Friday in 29 block panchayats, initially from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., State Animal Husbandry Minister J. Chinchurani, who would preside over the function at Kariavattom, said on Wednesday.

The plan is to expand it into a 24-hour service later on.

Livestock farmers and the public can avail themselves of the service by dialling 1962. The call centre will be managed by a veterinary doctor and call centre executives. If the problem demands the services of the mobile unit, the call centre will alert the unit.

Each vehicle is staffed by a veterinary doctor, a para-vet and a driver/attendant.

Service charges for the MVU are as follows: For providing doorstep medical services for cattle, poultry (₹450). Additional charge of ₹ 50 for artificial insemination. Treatment for pets (₹950). Medical care for cattle, poultry and pets in a single household (₹950). The cost of medicines would be included in the fee, the Minister said.

The 29 vehicles constitute the first batch of 156 MVUs planned in 152 block panchayats, selected corporations and one municipality. The Centre had sanctioned ₹4.64 crore for purchasing the 29 vehicles under its Livestock Health and Disease Control Project.

The remaining vehicles would be hired on wet lease, Ms. Chinchurani said.

Each vehicle would be equipped with surgical sets for large and small animals, autoclave, biomedical waste collection bins, LED flood lights, power generator, cryocan and artificial insemination equipment, and other facilities, Ms. Chinchurani said.

The salary expenditure of the staff is met on a 60:40 basis by the centre and the State. The vets have been appointed through the employment exchanges on contract basis.