Nagpur: Cattle owners in remote areas of the state will soon get a 24X7 mobile clinic facility for their animals just by dialling 1962 from their mobile phones.On Tuesday, the state cabinet cleared 349 mobile veterinary clinics — one for each tehsil — under the Chief Minister Animal Health Scheme.State animal husbandry commissioner Laxminarayan Mishra said each clinic will have one veterinary doctor, a para-vet and a driver-cum-attendant. They will provide treatment to sick animals at the doorstep of farmers, vaccination and artificial insemination (AI).“The mobile clinics will work on the lines of 108 ambulances. These clinics will have GPS through which their movement could be tracked. As Maharashtra is one of the states selected for Foot and mouth disease control programme of the central government, cattle will get vaccination for free,” Mishra said.In the first phase, 80 mobile clinics will be launched in tribal, hilly regions and remote areas. In Vidarbha, locations have been shortlisted in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Bhandara districts. Samudrapur in Wardha district will be the nearest location to Nagpur, where the clinic will be introduced in the next few days. The state government has sanctioned Rs16.74 crore for the first phase.Manpower management will be the biggest challenge for the state to implement the scheme. As the state veterinary department is already running short of staff, it has decided to involve retired veterinary doctors for the project.“Retired vets will be appointed on fixed honorarium as per the state policy. Drivers and helpers will be appointed on contract basis through private service providers. For the first phase, mobile vans with necessary machines will be procured at a cost of Rs12.80 crore,” Mishra said.Cattle owners said these clinics would be a great help for them provided the government implements the scheme properly.Bhupesh Raut, a dairy farmer in Wardha, said it’s difficult to get a veterinary doctor at proper time at present. “Doctors appointed by the state government are overburdened with work. They commute on their own. Reaching cattle sheds in remote areas is not possible for them every time. Emergencies like snake bites, or miscarriages in cows need instant medical assistance,” he said.Health help for cattleNo. of clinics planned: 349 (one for each tehsil)Clinics to be ready in 1st phase: 80Clinics will have mobile van with a veterinary doctor, a para-vet and a driver-cum-attendant, medicines, surgical equipment etcVaccination, marking, census, artificial insemination, and treatment of ill animals will be done24X7 helpline number: 1962

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