New Delhi civic body to develop a state-of-the-art vet hospital in Moti Bagh

The new hospital will be equipped with imaging facilities, operation theatres, surgery recovery units, out-patient departments and an audio-visual consultation room, among other technology aided amenities

Heeding the repeated requests of animals lovers in the national capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to set up a new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital in Moti Bagh, vice-chairman of the council Satish Upadhyay said Wednesday. The new hospital will be equipped with imaging facilities, operation theatres, surgery recovery units, out-patient departments and an audio-visual consultation room, among other technology aided amenities, he said.

The aim of the project is to provide stray animals, as well as pets and domesticated animals, comprehensive medical care under one roof and that too in the heart of Delhi. (Representative image/HT Archive)

Upadhyay said the aim of the project is to provide stray animals, as well as pets and domesticated animals, comprehensive medical care under one roof and that too in the heart of Delhi. The vice-chairman said the three-storey hospital complex will come up near Bidhan Chandra Vidhyalya in Moti Bagh.

“I had visited the old veterinary clinic in Moti Bagh ecently and the existing building is 60 years old. The building required maintenance, the equipment were outdated and the facilities minimal. Still, hundreds of animals are treated there daily. In view of the repeated demands of animal lovers for a full-fledged updated facility in the New Delhi area, the NDMC has decided to develop a new modern veterinary hospital with all modern facilities,” Upadhay said.

Giving more details about the proposed hospital, an NDMC official said the new building will be built over an area of 420 square metres and the structure itself will be made quake-proof. “The ground floor will have doctor rooms, store, animal OPD, catering room, cattle and monkey ponds along with parking facility. The first floor of the hospital will house the X-ray rooms, dark room, operation theatres, surgical and recovery units, OPD, doctor rooms, and treatment and injection room, among others. The second floor will have a meeting room and an audio-visual consultation room, the offices of the medical superintendent, doctors lounge and staff room, along with the storeroom and pantry,” the official said, not wishing to be named.

Upadhay said a new plot is near the existing hospital and the proposed facility will be able to cater to 150-200 pets daily. “Delhi is a cosmopolitan city with a large number of pet parents and the need for a better facility was felt. The tenders for the project will be issued soon and the project will be expedited,” he said.

Among other features, the proposed veterinary hospital will be equipped with rainwater harvesting system, solar-panels on the rooftop, updated firefighting systems, a sewage treatment plant and dual piping system, he said.

“During the pandemic, pets play an important role in our lives -- they continue to help us cope with feelings of loneliness and also give us a reason to step out for a walk or other outdoor activities. Spending time with pets help many relieve the stress of these unprecedented times,” the vice-chairman said.

In its budget, the south municipal corporation commissioner has also proposed to set up a veterinary hospital in Vasant Kunj but the project is in the nascent stages. In December, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had also launched a ₹2 crore project to renovate a four-storey veterinary hospital in east Delhi’s Patparganj.