To ensure livestock get quality treatment in a time-bound manner and save the farmer from additional expenses, the Himachal Pradesh government has initiated ‘Sanjeevani’ medical service for livestock care.

An official spokesperson said here on Sunday that the ‘Sanjeevani’ project is a farmer-friendly initiative towards empowering the livelihood of small dairy farmers or livestock owners. It will enhance the lives of many farmers from rural remote areas by providing them convenient and quality care for their livestock at their doorstep, he added.

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The Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) has signed an MoU with Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank, for the ‘Sanjeevani’ project, he said.

The collaboration under National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) will enhance the doorstep delivery of livestock care, making all veterinary services available for farmers just a phone call away. The toll-free number will be operational soon.

This integrated call centre will work like a single contact point for different matters concerning livestock health care and vaccination programmes.

“It will act as an effective communication platform between government and livestock owners. This platform shall provide personalized assistance to the livestock farmers/owners on various aspects such as telemedical consultation, information about government schemes, programmes especially Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, grievance redressal, query resolution,” he said.

The call centre will ensure coordination between mobile veterinary clinic vehicles and working livestock clinics, to shorten the time taken for extending livestock care.

The doorstep veterinary services will have curative treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, preventive care and all animal husbandry-related information, he said.

This initiative will serve farmers at 44 blocks located in 12 districts of the state. The centralized Call Centre at the Directorate of Animal Husbandry will be integrated with 44 Mobile Veterinary Ambulances, he added.

Under the initiative Animal Husbandry Department’s field veterinary services will be deployed through BFIL’s integrated telemedicine and service management platform.

 “The uniqueness of the initiative lies in its ability to connect the doctor and the farmer through a mobile app, which also tracks the efficiency of service delivery, medicines prescribed, and livestock diseases related data in one platform.

The one-of-its-kind telemedicine platform will ensure that the farmer avails quality treatment at the doorstep in a time-bound manner,” he said.

Apart from veterinary services, farmers will also be given guidance on nutrition care for their livestock, he added.

The rural economy of the state is based on agriculture, and animal husbandry is a major component of it.

Himachal Pradesh has a total livestock population of about 4.41 million and livestock care is an essential part of every rural household, he informed, adding that proper care on time can bring a lot of benefit to the farmers and enhance their livelihood.