Rajpur veterinary hospital functioning from a hut

Abhyudaya Kotnala

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 22

A tattered old hut with a leaking tin shed and without an electricity connection. This is the condition of the Government Veterinary Hospital situated at Rajpur, barely a few kilometres from Dehradun. In a state where a large number of people are dependent on cattle for their livelihood, this pathetic condition of the veterinary hospital explains the callous attitude of the government.

The veterinary hospital was opened in an old hut on an ashram land in 2007 but since then the state government had done nothing to improve its condition or construct its building. The hospital does not even have power supply, and thus medicines could not be stored properly and are brought from Dehradun only on demand.

The hospital has a doctor, a pharmacist and a helper to cater to people of Rajpur, Mussoorie, Jakhan, Sahaspur and nearby villages. There are seven sanctioned posts but only three persons are running the hospital. As a result, people have to wait for days to get their animals treated. The poor condition of the hospital near Dehradun is enough to explain the situation of other government hospitals in interior areas.

“The government is trying to find a proper land for the hospital. If the ashram donates land to the department, things can be sorted out soon,” said BP Nautiyal, Chief Veterinary Officer.