Tele veterinary unit worth Rs 1 crore to treat animals

KOLLAM: In a first of its kind initiative in the state, Kollam has got a new ‘Tele veterinary mobile unit’ offering advanced treatment facilities to animals on the move. The trial run of the Rs 1 cr unit by the Animal husbandry department has been conducted at a private animal farm at Thilleri here on Friday. “Currently, the district veterinary centre in Thevally acts as the referral veterinary hospital to the panchayats and municipalities. However, animal lovers find it difficult to bring their animals here from faraway in case they are referred to the hospital for advanced surgeries and other treatments. In this case, the mobile veterinary unit will be helpful,” Animal husbandry department assistant director Dr D. Shinekumar said.

The modern veterinary unit contains facilities including animal lift device for lifting animals that have fallen ill without being able to raise by itself, portable ultra sound scanner, x-ray machine for detecting fractures in bones and presence of foreign bodies in animals, instruments that aid complex and minute surgeries for eyes and nose of animals, refrigerator, laboratory, and emergency lights.

It also acts as a traveller ambulance equipped with communication device enabling communication with the referral centre through a dongle. The unit is designed by C-DAC under the Central ministry for communication. As part of the trial run, sedated cattle were lifted using the animal lift device at the private farm in Thilleri. The officials from animal husbandry department observed the functioning of various devices including scanners in the unit. Trial run of the unit was conducted on sedated cattle being lifted using animal lift device.