Animal health services compromised

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 7

Owing to acute shortage of staff, the quality of medical services rendered to animals is being compromised at the veterinary hospitals across the district.

As there are no doctors appointed on permanent basis at a number of civil veterinary hospitals, doctors from other CVHs are asked to work for a few hours on rotational basis.

Apart from doctors, there is a shortage of veterinary inspectors (pharmacists) at CVHs across the district, as a result doctors are forced to work beyond their actual domain and handle clerical work as well.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Amrik Singh, deputy director, Animal Husbandry Department, Bathinda, said, “Of 87 civil veterinary hospitals, only 54 CVHs have veterinary officers (doctors) in the district. In order to ensure that work does not get affected, we have asked the doctors working in other CVHs to work for 2 hours on rotational basis at these hospitals. There is an acute shortage of pharmacists at CVHs. Keeping in view the increased number of animals brought here for treatment at the veterinary hospitals, there is certainly a huge dearth of staff members.”

“We have written to the Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab, on many occasions but recruitment has not been conducted as per the requirements. Only a few veterinary officers and pharmacists have been appointed in the past five years. Vacancies have not been filled in proportion to the retired employees from the department,” he added.

There are no doctors at CVHs in Mehma Sarja, Balahar Vinjhu, Virk Kalan and Nehianwala villages among other hospitals for the past few years.

Upon a visit by the Bathinda Tribune team, it was found that since there was no pharmacist available to assist doctors in treating animals, a large number of people, along with animals, were lined up for treatment.

Apart from dressing of wounds and bandaging, a pharmacist is responsible for dispensing medicines, assist in vaccination, maintain records and handle medicine section among other responsibilities at a CVH.

But in the absence of a pharmacist, doctors are compelled to do these tasks on their own.

Apart from 87 CVHs, there are 87 civil veterinary dispensaries (CVDs) in the district.

Navneet Kaur, in-charge-cum-pathologist at CVH near the Dabwali road, said, “We have stated our requirement of pharmacists to the higher authorities, but we have not got any response so far. The work process gets deeply affected when there are no pharmacists. As a result, the existing staff have to work beyond their domain on daily basis.”

Sources said the problem of shortage of staff was there in the Animal Husbandry Department earlier as well but it was not as big as it is now.

For the past five years, the shortage of staff at veterinary hospitals is growing rapidly with the department making few fresh appointments.

It is the owner of animals who suffers at the end and has to make rounds of hospitals to seek treatment/operation from doctors.

Inderjit Singh, director, Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab, said, “We are in the process to make appointments of 106 veterinary officers in the state and clearance to that effect has already been taken. More than 100 veterinary inspectors and class-IV staff would also be appointed in future.”