Govt revamps healthcare for livestock in villages

Relief for farmers in rural areas; Rs 2.79 cr for setting up sub-centres in 24 districts to be manned by vet inspectors, provide breeding support

CHENNAI: Dairy farmers in backward rural areas of the State will soon get relief from transporting their cattle to distant places for treatment and breeding support.  

Expanding the healthcare facilities and veterinary services to livestock and poultry population in rural parts of the State, the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Service is to set up 75 new veterinary sub-centres in the villages of 24 districts.

The animal care sub-centres, which will be manned by livestock inspectors, will provide basic veterinary services and breeding support (artificial insemination) to livestock in the villages. In addition, vaccination, castration and deworming will also be carried out for animals. The government recently issued a G.O. allocating `2.79 crore for establishing the centres.

Though the State has a robust network for provision of health care services to livestock with 775 sub-centres and 2,701 dispensaries in rural pockets, farmers in remote villages suffer a huge financial loss owing to delay in getting first aid and breeding support. The dairy farmers fully depend on the sub-centres for the artificial insemination for cattle, which had led to increase in milk production in the last few years.  
“Given that each sub-centre can handle about 3000 to 4000 cases a year, the proposed centres are expected to handle a minimum 2.25 lakh cases a year, benefiting the farmers across the State,” said a senior official from the department.

Of the 75, Tirunelveli, Salem, Namakkal and Dharmapuri districts, are to each get five sub- centres and Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Thiruppur, Krishnagiri and Erode districts, will each, get four animal care centres.

Three centres, each, will be set up in Thoothukudi, Thiruvannamalai, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Coimbatore districts.

The official added that the village panchayats that have 3000 cattle units, have been chosen for setting up the centres. “The village panchayats should provide a building for opening a sub-centre temporarily and should also allocate five cents of land for constructing a permanent building. The centres will start functioning in a few months,” added the official.

According to official data, the department has treated around 3.72 crore cases in 2018-19, in its 3704 veterinary care centres, which include 143 veterinary hospitals, 2701 dispensaries, 775 sub-centres, 56 mobile units,17 clinician centres and 12 poly clinics.

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