VETERINARIANS BELONG TO AN AUGUST PROFESSION

April 28, 2022

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VETERINARIANS BELONG TO AN AUGUST PROFESSION

Dr. Simanta Kumar Nanda, M. V. Sc., Sub-divisional Veterinary Officer, Koraput (Odisha)

We celebrate some days in a year naming them as August events especially world events/days. These days are celebrates to arouse public passion and consciousness to make our lives healthy and enjoyable besides keep our environment and mother Earth safe from the onslaught of relentless human activity. Why should we call them as August events or days? ’August’ comes from the Latin word Augustus, meaning “consecrated” or “venerable” or “magnificent”. Nowadays the world is celebrating numerous WORLD DAYS and National Days. However, for our purpose we shall restrict them to few. These may be catalogued as World Water Day, World Forestry Day, World Earth Day, World Oceans Day, World Blood Donors Day, World Health Day, World Red Cross Day, World Animal Day, World Zoonoses Day, National Milk Day, Leprosy Eradication Day, National Cleanness Day, World Cancer Day, World Wildlife Day, World Egg Day, and World Veterinary Day etc. Many of the days cited here encompass our concern to Nature, Environment, Human and or Animal Health. For the purpose of this article let the discussion be on livestock production, animal health, well being of farmers as livestock/poultry provide livelihood to millions of people, and more importantly human life is inter-wined for millions of years.

When we talk of domestic animals, birds, and wildlife and their health vis-a’-vis human health the name of a veterinarian crops up. In today’s parlance he is commonly known as animal doctor and in vernacular ‘Pashu doctor’ or ‘Dangar doctor’. His work shere is versatile. He is a family friend, philosopher, and guide of farmer. Unfortunately in spite of his immense contribution to society his services do not get commensurate recognition. The public perception is true to some extent in developed countries though dairy producing countries it is much different. Fortunately there is a sign of change in public perception about veterinarians in India. The administration has recognized their value as social engineers in realm of social empowerment, animal health and disease control regime including production of vaccine, research, public health, food and nutritional security, prevention of cruelty to animals, economic development of rural farmers and as a guide to big dairy and poultry entrepreneurs. Perhaps no other professional can handle so many jobs if given a chance.

Veterinarians belong to an august profession and they celebrate World Veterinary Day on the last Saturday of April every year. The day was instituted by the World Veterinary Association in the year 2000. A person becomes eligible to practice veterinary medical profession only after successful completion of course curricula spread over 5 year with additional six months as an internee. He studies anatomy, physiology, pathology of various diseases, surgery and medicine for treatment of different species of domestic animals and wildlife. In addition animal breeding and genetics, animal reproduction, animal nutrition and farm management measure up the entire course of study. All these subjects endow him with knowledge useful to the farming community, the dominant population in rural India. Under field environment a veterinarian faces challenges of unkind nature and has to overcome them with ingenuity. These may be zoonotic diseases – a disease entity transmitted from animals to humans. It may be rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, Japanese encephalitis, and Corona etc. The present Corona viruses pandemic, now threatening with a 4th wave, are some of the instances of unending human suffering. Conservation of native germplasm and wildlife under threat of extinction is a common concern of veterinarians.

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted livelihoods and economy of all classes of people across the world. The small farmers, daily wage earners and small entrepreneurs have been grievously hurt. The resilience of veterinarians is on test. Therefore, the theme for the World Veterinary Day is appropriately chosen as ‘Strengthening Veterinary Resilience’. What does the word ‘resilience’ mean? It is the ability to recover quickly after a shock and injury or the ability of a substance to gain its original position or shape. In the present instance how can veterinarians help the farmers to pre-Corona pandemic status. This is only possible by strengthening the existing infrastructure and pumping farmer friendly schemes and their successful implementation. By and large, the existing infrastructures in field institutions lack modern facilities to boost farmer friendly environment. These have to be upgraded to deliver good veterinary service at all levels according Veterinary Council of India regulation. Veterinarians may be compared with proverbial cat with nine lives as they bounce back to life under suitable condition. Many of us might have seen the proverbial cat logo on Eveready battery.

For that to happen the governments have to ensure 9 STEPS FOR POSITIVE VETERINARY RESILIENCE.

Best Vet- client relationship

Balanced work-life environment

Good team of staff at hospital/dispensary

Sufficient availability of vaccines and medicines

Well equipped hospital with technicians

Well equipped laboratory with technicians

Awards and recognition for vets

Good salary and assured advancement in career

To accomplish wellness of all ‘ONE HEALTH’ concept should be in place/

This apart the veterinarians have ample job opportunities, unlike in the past, in pharmaceutical companies, research institutes (both medical and veterinary), commercial immunological production companies (both medical and veterinary), general insurance, agricultural finance institutions (NABARD), mother dairies etc., and universities as faculty members. With these narratives one may say that the onus lies with the veterinary professionals to redeem their resilience and prove that they a versatile lot and need a better deal in public life. The hidden human element (human resource) need to be nourished carefully to bring out the best.

Let’s feel positive, for the coming Saturday, the worldwide deliberations on the celebration of World Veterinary Day 2022, will bring out cardinal points of contention having relevance to the professionals of this august position consigned reciprocally due to the significant benefaction by the animal doctors for the mankind.

Dr. Simanta Kumar Nanda