Andhra Pradesh plans ambulance network for animals

VISAKHAPATNAM: As many as 175

mobile ambulatory clinics

(MVACs) will come up in every assembly segment in the state, say officials of the

animal husbandry department

. The clinics, similar to ‘108’

ambulance

services, will have a para-veterinarian and driver-cum-attendant led by an assistant veterinary surgeon. A tollfree number will be made available to contact these clinics.

The ambulatory vehicle will be designed to handle all kinds of animals including buffaloes, bulls, cows, sheep or hens. The

government

will hire a private agency to operate and maintain all these units, for which the government would allocate Rs6 crore to Rs 7 crore as operational cost per month at a rate of Rs 3–3.5 lakh per unit.

Upon receiving a phone call, vehicles will be rushed to the spot to provide first-aid to the sick animal. In case of emergencies, the

animal

would be taken to the nearest hospital. Every vehicle will have special hydraulic lifts to handle large animals with care. The animal husbandry department will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for this project and submit it to the state government.

A 15-member technical committee will review the report at Vijayawada where the project will be finalised this week. Dr Madina Prasada Rao, deputy director of the animal husbandry department in

Srikakulam district

, said that animals mostly suffer from diseases such as black quarter, haemorrhagic septicaemia and milk fever. These cases require immediate treatment, Dr Rao said.

"Death rate will be 70–100% if we fail to attend severe medical cases of animals within two to three hours. These mobile ambulatories will be a boon for both animals and their owners. This will be the first government-run ambulance network (for animals) in the country," Dr Rao told TOI.