GADVASU depute 200 Vet students to fight Lumpy in Punjab

Pashu Sandesh, 15 Aug 2022

Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana depute around 200 Veterinary students to work with the Animal Husbandry Department to control the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) of animals. Dr SPS, Ghuman, Dean, College of Veterinary Science, GADVASU informed that Punjab State has 46.11 lakh households and out of which around 20 lakh households own cattle and buffaloes. Rural economy sustainability is based on dairy production systems. Currently, LSD is affecting the dairy farming community and farmers are facing economic losses due to this viral disease.

The Government of Punjab through its Department of Animal Husbandry is trying different measures to stop the spread of disease and reduce the losses of the farmers. To diffuse the current crisis of dairy farmers, and also to work hands to hands with the Department of Animal Husbandry of the state, GADVASU has deputed 179 veterinary students in different districts of the state.

The Chief Minister of the state has constituted the coordination committee to tackle the crisis of LSD. The decision to depute the students in different districts of the state was taken in the meeting of this committee held on Aug 12, 2022, in the presence of the Finance Minister and Animal Husbandry Minister of the state.

The students of the BVSc & AH degree programme undergoing internships at the College of Veterinary Science, Ludhiana (43 interns) and at Khalsa College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Amritsar (20 interns) as well as second-year students undergoing the Veterinary Inspector Diploma Course at Veterinary Polytechnic, Kaljharani, Bathinda (63 students) and at Baba Hira Das Ji College of Veterinary Pharmacy, Badal District, Sri Muktsar Sahib (53 students) will report to Deputy Directors of Animal Husbandry Department in different districts of the state from Aug 16, 2022, onward. 

This is a bold step taken by the GADVASU as it will not only help the Animal Husbandry Department to tide over the shortage of manpower but would also give a real-time experience to the Veterinary students to practice Community Veterinary Medicine in the time of the Lumpy epidemic.