Vet Doctors’ Strike Causes Massive Livestock & Livelihood Loss In Odisha’s Ganjam

Berhampur: With government veterinary doctors of Odisha on mass leave for about a month now, animal care services in the entire state have come to a standstill. The situation in Ganjam district, which has on an average only one veterinary doctor to treat 17,316 animals, has become even worse.

With veterinary dispensaries shut and emergency services crippled, thousands of animals have lost their lives in the district. Even those who had insurance coverage for their livestock were not able to claim the insurance money with doctors’ strike halting even post-mortem service.

Critical facilities under various wings of the state’s Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department are in a limbo. Testing, licensing of new farms, and disease surveillance have also stopped putting the livelihood of lakhs of people, engaged in the dairy and poultry sectors in rural areas of the district, at stake.

The veterinary dispensaries across the district along with 22 ‘Mukhyamantri Mobile Veterinary Units’, the flagship initiative of the state government, have become defunct due to lack of medicines.

Pet owners are running here and there for healthcare of their sick animals. Private clinics in most areas are unable to cater to the increasing demand and are also beyond the affordability of most people.

“We are demanding parity with veterinarians under the Central government service, better avenues for promotion through cadre restructuring, non-practice allowance which is prevalent in many other states apart from better diagnostic services at district levels, round-the-clock service for farmers and an overhaul of the animal resources department,” said Ganjam unit president and secretary of Odisha Veterinary Service Association (OVSA) Dr Subhrakanta Mahanty and Dr Manoj Sadangi respectively.

“Will the state government take a similar stand if general doctors or other medical practitioners are on strike,” they questioned.

It may be mentioned that there are 1,340 veterinary doctors for 1.8 crore large and small animals in Odisha. The situation is even worse in Ganjam, where there are only 87 veterinary doctors for 1,506,505 animals including 4.95 lakh cattle and buffalo, 10.05 lakh sheep and goats, and 11,500 companion animals or pet dogs.

One doctor treats 17,316 animals in the district against the state average of 22,000 animals and the national average of one vet for 5,350 animals, sources said.

The veterinary doctors have been on strike since January 18 demanding pay and career progression on par with allopathic doctors.