LSD outbreak: Vet body demands immediate recruitment of ad-hoc vets

Punjab State Veterinary Council member Dr Gurinder Singh Walia said over 60,000 animals have been infected with LSD so far, while 1,46,479 cattle have been administered goat pox vaccine. He added that the contagion has claimed the lives of as many as 2,100 cattle, including cows and buffaloes, across the state. Government should immediately make recruitment on ad-hoc basis so that the doctors are sent to the more vulnerable areas in the state, he added.

In the view of shortage of staff in the animal husbandry department, Punjab government must recruit veterinary officers on ad-hoc basis on priority to fight with the spread of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, a former joint director, animal husbandry, Punjab, and Punjab State Veterinary Council member Dr Gurinder Singh Walia said.

Of over 6,000 infected animals in Ludhiana, around 190 have died due to the LSD. Punjab State Veterinary Council member Dr Gurinder Singh Walia said government should immediately recruit veterinary officers on ad-hoc basis so that the doctors are sent to the more vulnerable areas in the state (HT FILE)

He added that over 60,000 animals have been infected so far, while 1,46,479 cattle have been administered goat pox vaccine. He added that the contagion has claimed the lives of as many as 2,100 cattle, including cows and buffaloes, across the state.

He said of over 6,000 infected animals in Ludhiana, around 190 have died due to the disease.

In a meeting of the Senior Vets’ Association held here on Tuesday, Walia said the state government had sent requisition to the Punjab Public Service Commission for selecting 418 veterinary officers, advertisement for which had already been published.

But the process for selection was likely to be long, hence, till such time regular veterinary officers are selected by the PPSC, government should immediately make recruitment on ad-hoc basis so that the doctors are sent to the more vulnerable areas in the state, he added.

Dr Walia added that this infectious disease caused by pox virus was likely to stay for a long period like the Covid-19, hence, a multipronged and sustainable strategy was required to contain the spread and to save farmers who were predominantly dependent on dairy farming.

Former chief executive officer of Punjab Gau Sewa Commission Nitin Kumar Gupta and former director of Animal Husbandry, Punjab, Sanjeev Khosla urged the CM to direct the local government, rural development and health departments to help control the vectors, mosquitoes and insects etc by starting a massive insecticide spray and awareness campaign.