Shortage of doctors, assistants at Haryana govt-run vet hospitals

Karnal, July 2

Despite the increase in number of pet animals and commercial dairy farming activities in the district, government-run veterinary hospitals are facing shortage of doctors, as well as assistants.

On the whole, the district comprises 51 veterinary hospitals, 131 veterinary dispensaries, one each of district disease diagnostic lab, and a mobile lab. What is shocking is that these hospitals, dispensaries, are lacking sufficient staff and doctors.

The situation can be gauged with the fact that 20 veterinary hospitals do not have regular veterinary surgeons as out of 53 sanctioned posts of veterinary surgeons, 20 are lying vacant. The existing surgeons have been given additional charge of nearby hospitals.

Besides, 110 posts out of 190 sanctioned posts of Veterinary Livestock Development Assistant (VLDA) are yet to be filled, forcing the people to go to quacks and risking the lives of their livestock which further leads to wastage of money.

Apart from these, there are 185 sanctioned posts of animal attendants (AA), of these 121 are filled while 64 are vacant.

There are 185 sanctioned posts of sweeper-cum-watchman, of them only 23 are filled while the remaining are lying vacant, the data of the Animal Husbandry Department said.

The data further stated that at Garhibirbal, Uplana, Manjura, Ballah, Sultanpur, Kaimla, Kutail, Gagsina, Mohri Jagir, Jhanjhari, Gudha, Kachwa, Salwan, Padha, Kherisarafali, Unishpur, Assandh, Popra, Thari and Unchasamana, the post of regular surgeon was lying vacant.