Dr Samit Sharma, a 2004 batch IAS, brought revolution in Rajasthan healthcare by introducing generic medicines. He was then serving as managing director Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation – the agency that buys medicines and medical equipment for healthcare centres and hospitals.
Now after more than a decade, Dr Sharma, who is now serving as secretary animal husbandry, is launching a dedicated call centre for facilitating medical treatment of livestock at home. This is also a revolutionary move in the animal husbandry sector.
Dr Sharma will launch the unique call centre for mobile veterinary units at Rajasthan State Livestock Management & Training Institute. The chief guest would be animal husbandry, Gopalan and Devasthan department minister Joraram Kumawat while minister of state Jawahar Singh Bedham would be the special guest.
Dr Sharma said that the farmers would get home-service through this unique call centre.
“There are 536 mobile veterinary units which will reach out to every livestock over a phone call. There would be one veterinary unit against every one lakh animals,” he said.
He said that that the veterinary units are rendering their services on their fixed routes.
“Now when an animal keeper would dial help line number 1962, veterinary units will reach out to their homes for treatment of animals at their doorstep,” he said.
Dr Samit Sharma said that every mobile unit will have one veterinary doctor, one technical vet and one driver-cum-animal handler.
“For call centre there would be 10 veterinary doctors and technical vets who would handle calls. They will be able to advise animal keepers about livestock management, nutrition and other suggestions. They would also advise treatment for common diseases through telemedicine on phone,” Dr. Sharma said.
Prakash Bhandari is a veteran journalist with over 50 years of experience. He has worked with The Times of India for 30 years and contributed to leading publications as well as international news agency AFP.
