Roaring welcome for '1962' animal ambulances

MADURAI: Pet owners and those engaged in livestock farming have welcomed the allocation of two animal ambulances for the district. Chief minister J Jayalalithaa had launched the ambulance service two days ago.
An ambulance service for animals was a long-pending demand of the local farmers. Impressed by the service rendered by the '108' ambulance service, farmers in the region, who were finding it difficult to have access to immediate medical help when their animals fell sick, had made many representations to the government.
The service would be a boon for many, said R Sankaran, a farmer from Usilampatti."If it functions as effectively as the '108' service, I can assure you that it would be busier. We farmers are in desperate need of one such service as cows fall sick often while delivering calves," he told TOI.
Once a call is made to '1962' seeking medical help, an ambulance would rush to the place and take the sick animal to the nearest veterinary hospital or clinic. The vehicles are equipped with a hydraulic lift, which would make it easier to load sick animals. The animal can be kept in standing position with the help of the metal barrier inside the vehicles.
Sources at the Veterinary University Training and Diagnostic Centre at Thiruparankundram said that Madurai was among the five districts chosen for animal ambulances. "Thanjavur, Trichy, Kancheepuram and Namakkal also received two vehicles each. The total cost of the vehicles is 6.33 crore," an official said.
Since it is a pilot project, the calls made to the animal ambulance service will be routed through the same call centre designated for receiving calls under the '108' ambulance scheme. "We will treat all cases that need critical and emergency care, such as accidents, trauma, gynaecological complications and metabolism disorders, among others. The service would be available for all animals round-the-clock," the official added.
District collector K Veera Raghava Rao inspected the vehicles on Thursday.