DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Dharmapuri urged the Animal Husbandry Department to take steps to set up a veterinary hospital which functions 24x7 to ensure the safety of livestock and other domestic animals.
Dharmapuri's rural economy entirely relies on the rearing of livestock. The district has a total of 3.5 lakh cows and buffaloes and over 5.5 lakh goats and sheep. To ensure the safety of livestock, the Animal Husbandry Department has set up 82 veterinary dispensaries, three veterinary hospitals and one mobile veterinary clinic. However, farmers stated, "Due to the increasing livestock, the district needs a 24x7 veterinary hospital in the district."
Speaking to TNIE, R Selvaraj from Nallampalli said, "At present, all the government veterinary care centres function between 8 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. In Dharmapuri, a large number of people are labourers. Most of them leave early and arrive late. It is hard for them to make it to the clinics or hospital within this given time. This forces them to avail private medical treatment which is often very expensive costing thousands of rupees. These labourers at most would earn Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day. So a 24x7 functioning hospital would be helpful."
Another farmer, R Murugadas from Palacode said, "Over the years cattle and goats have been afflicted with many diseases. I lost a cow to some infection. If a cattle or goat falls ill, it is akin to our child falling ill. When our livestock fall ill or die, it is a huge loss of revenue for our families also. Moreover, many livestock are prone to many unknown infections and wounds which require treatment. A clinic that functions 24x7 would be helpful for farmers."
When TNIE spoke to officials in the Animal Husbandry Department they said, "These are policy matters and we cannot comment on the matter." However, they said a 24x7 clinic is unnecessary as in many cases doctors are easily accessible and the government-run veterinary clinics offer good treatment."