Veterinary hospital needs shot in arm

The 50-year-old building is on the brink of caving in due to poor maintenance. Residents from surrounding villages are suffering due to poor medical facilities and services for their pet and domestic animals.

Due to the dilapidated state of the building, all services in the hospital have been affected. Surprisingly, the hospital is being run in only half the portion of the building as the other half has caved in.

CESC has disconnected electricity supply due to fear of electric short circuit or power mishap in the building. So the doctors working here are not able to store medicines in refrigerator.

Despite partial collapse of the building, the veterinary department has not acted either to repair and restore the building or shift it to another premises.

According to sources, the worst part is no doctor is willing to work in the dilapidated building, even as the serving doctor has applied for a transfer.

The veterinary department has released ` 17.50 lakh for construction of a new building for the hospital. But, despite several appeals, the grama panchayat has failed to allocate a place for the new building.

The present building belongs to the public works department. So, the PWD has to maintain the structure.

 “They are neither interested in maintaining it nor give the land to the veterinary department to construct a new building,” an official said.

Veterinary officer Dr Lakshmeesh said he had complained to the deputy commissioner and tahsildar about poor infrastructure. But, there has been no reply so far.