Ambulances for Animals in Uttarakhand

• 10 Aug 2022

Why in News?

• On August 9, 2022, Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry and Milk Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna informed that for the first time, veterinary ambulances would be started for the treatment of animals on the lines of 108 ambulances running for human in the state.

Key Points

• Minister Saurabh Bahuguna informed that the state government is going to provide treatment of sick animals at home to the cattle owners for the first time in order to create new employment opportunities in the animal husbandry business and to solve the problems of the cattle rearers.
• For this, the government has started the process to buy 60 veterinary ambulances in the first phase. By calling on the toll free number, the farmers will get ambulance service to get the sick animal treated at home.
• Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main means of livelihood of the people in the state. 8.5 lakh farmer families are involved in animal husbandry, whose livelihood comes from rearing large animals (cow and buffalo). There are about 27 lakh big animals in the state. Apart from this two lakh families are doing business of small cattle (sheep, goat, pig, horse, mule).
• Till now there is no facility of door-to-door treatment of sick animals in the state. The farmers have to take the sick animal to the veterinary hospital or animal service center for treatment, due to which the farmers have to face a lot of problems. Due to not getting timely treatment of sick animals in inaccessible areas, livestock owners have to suffer financial loss.
• It is worth noting that at present 323 veterinary hospitals are operating for the treatment of animals. Apart from this, there are 770 Animal Service Centres, 682 Artificial Insemination Centres, four Animal Breeding Farms.