PANAJI
The recently notified Animal Health and Welfare Policy has emphasised on the holistic development of animal rearing in the state with stress on different aspects such as modernisation, super-speciality treatment facility for animals, preservation of indigenous breeds and management plan for animals in case of disaster.
The policy suggests restructuring and addition of the animal treatment hospitals with the bifurcation of administration into North and South zones with financial powers. The South Zone office is suggested at Sonsodo.
"Veterinary hospitals at Tonca, Mapusa and Sonsodo have to be upgraded to provide super-speciality facilities with specialised and 24/7 emergency services. These hospitals will have latest diagnostic equipment such as ultrasound, endoscopy, digital radiography, CT scan and MRI with outpatient and I-patient department facilities," says the policy.
The toll-free animal call centre will be connected to ambulances fitted with hydraulic lifts and global positioning systems (GPS) is suggested. Specialised Avian health facility is also planned in the document.
The policy has suggested mobile veterinary dispensaries throughout Goa equipped with surgical tools, medicines, portable diagnostic tools and GPS.
SUGGESTIONS IN THE POLICY DOCUMENT
- Large animal hospitals in rural dairy pockets such as Keri, Nagargao, Goa Velha
- State-level diagnostic facility for disease diagnosis with a separate section for zoonotic diseases, and district-level polyclinics
- Mortuary with post-mortem and incinerator facility
- A biomedical waste disposal facility
- Creating a database with an App of animal welfare organisations, goshalas, private vet clinics, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies, pet shops, animal breeders, animal boarding, animal feeders and activists
- App for reporting animal cruelty cases
- Shelters for abandoned animals
- Animal birth control programs
- Cattle sanctuaries, preservation of Goa's native cattle breed with the promotion of organic farming
- Two cattle sanctuaries proposed by identification of suitable land in North and South districts. These sanctuaries besides shelters will also have facilities like biogas, vermicompost, bio-pesticides, panchagavya medicine, jeevamrut and dung based dhoopbatti, dunk cakes, compressed dung pots
- Stray cattle management with the help of Goshalas
- The policy suggests animal screening at the border for infectious and contagious diseases with animal quarantine facilities at borders
- Modernisation of dairies
- Green fodder banks are proposed
- Introduction of better breeds of Goats. Modernisation of Government poultry farms, piggeries
- A training hall at a guesthouse in Curti is proposed
- Slaughterhouses for Sheep, Goat and Pigs in each taluka
- Plan for disaster management with identification of land on plateaus to rehabilitate animals in case of disasters like floods
