As the country fights its battle against COVID-19, the spotlight has fallen on the medical fraternity that has been at the frontline. At the behest of the Prime Minister, a nationwide appreciation was also dedicated to them and other essential service providers.
But there is another wing — veterinary services — that has been quietly working for patients that cannot speak for themselves.
As the lockdown came into force, the Centre reiterated that medical help for animals should be considered an essential service. Though many clinics have cut down the number of appointments, they are available for serious cases. With staff strength reduced, many are functioning with skeletal staff.
Shahid Vaseem, chief vet, CUPA Animal Care Hospital, R.T. Nagar, said the number of cases per day has come down from 120 to 80 approximately. “We have restricted ourselves on need basis. Emergency could mean life and death. But in some cases, loose motion, vomiting or not eating for many days could get serious later. We are dealing with patients who cannot express themselves or speak. Eventually, we are bound to see all cases,” he said. The CUPA Trauma Centre in Hebbal, which is a free service that is donation based and treats only domestic animals that are not pets, said with vehicles and people off the roads, a lot more people were noticing abandoned, hurt or homeless animals and bringing them to the centre. Abandoned pets are also being brought.
“We recently got a Labrador that was maggot ridden after being tied to a tree,” said Suranjana Ganguly, senior veterinarian at the centre.
The staff is now limited to four from 15, and the doctors are taking turns to ensure there is one of them at the centre every day.
Hospitals and clinics are also taking precautions keeping the pet guardians in mind. “We have taken precautions for the staff, such as wearing gloves and masks. An important notice we have put up is to limit one guardian per patient to ensure there is no community transmission,” Dr. Vaseem said.
Around 40% of their staff is not reporting to work, either as a precautionary measure or due to lack of transport. “We are dividing work and managing. We are still getting cases from the public who bring in injured animals. This is something we are used to. But getting the public under control has been more difficult. As there are holidays, three to four family members come with one patient,” he said.
Aaswin K. Cancure Pet Hospital said: “Right now, we are looking at important cases only. We advise owners to call before coming.”
