KOHIMA, MAY 30: THE chairman of the Bio-Resources Mission of Nagaland, Dr Longrineken, has said that Nagaland’s scope in animal husbandry has been reinforced by the abundant availability of fertile land, good climatic conditions, suitable topography and abundant fodder. With good market, demand can be harness for markets within and outside the state, he said.
Speaking as the chief guest at the annual conference of the Nagaland Veterinarians’ Association Monday at Hotel Japfü, Dr Longrineken said veterinarians and the department of Veterinary can play a big role in building the economy of the state. They can do so by devising better schemes to encourage farmers and villagers to take up animal husbandry as a profession.
However, the sitting legislator said, the focus should be more on ‘result oriented schemes’ and on training the farmers, and encouragement to them to take up livestock farming; they can be shown the prospect of economic development.
Taking note of the state’s unemployment problem, Dr Longrineken asserted that the Naga need social transformation and that they ‘urgently need’ to ‘develop work culture.’ ‘Employment is any kind of job including manual labour works that gives monetary benefits and makes one economically independent and sustains yourself,’ he said.
Dr Longrineken also suggested that the department focus more on preventive and control measures rather than treatment and cure when it comes to animals’ health. This, he said, would be possible by ‘properly educating’ farmers about management and that vaccines are available at the right time.
The additional director of the department, Dr Viral Yore, delivered the keynote address. He said that although the department had ‘achieved many things,’ it still had a long way to achieving its goals and targets to be self-sufficient in meat, milk and eggs. Most of the farms today have become a liability to the government instead of revenue assets. Even after 50 years of existence the department still continues at the demonstration level. In this regard, he asserted that ‘scientific breeding’ was the need of the hour. He has urged those in concern to rededicate their efforts toward ‘translation of scientific knowledge into action’ for the benefit of the people.
Dr Yore also emphasized on the need for the veterinary hospitals to provide specific treatments through ‘confirmatory diagnosis using laboratory tests’ and not confine their work to ‘prescribing broad spectrum antibiotic.’ The disease-reporting system needs ‘thorough refinement’ because it was of national importance, Dr Yore said. He maintained that reports received from various VHCs should be scrutinized and compiled by professionals and not by ‘clericals’ as it has been observed in the past.
The veterinarian also discouraged veterinary officer from ‘the habit of making excuses’ for not being stationed in their posting places. ‘With the technical knowledge that they have been equipped with, one can disseminate to the people the required expertise even without medicines through grassroots level interaction with the citizens,’ he said.
Dr Yore also informed that ‘all kinds of vaccines are readily available in the department.’ One may collect ‘any quantity and varying out vaccination from their respective areas,’ he said. He has called upon the department’s officers and professionals to rededicate their activities to successfully implement existing ongoing schemes. That way, he said, the department’s goals and targets as envisaged in the guidelines and vision of self sufficiency would be achieved by 2030.
Also speaking at the event was the director of the department, Dr Thungchamo Ezung. The department is faced with various activities that require ‘knowledge beyond professional realms,’ he said. To efficiently function as a performing department, he said the officers must keep pace or the department ‘will not survive as a growing department.’
‘Although there has not been any outbreak of catastrophic diseases,’ Dr Ezung said, the department and its officials need to be prepared against occurrence of new and emerging diseases.
Inventor of animal restrainer acknowledged
Neizo Chale, a senior veterinary field assistant working at the Veterinary Hospital of Dimapur, a recipient of the Governors’ Award, was acknowledge today for his inventing the Small Animal Restrainer. The device makes for easier maneuvering in handling an animal for targeted surgery and to minimize the manpower involved.
The steel fabricated restrainer has two steps of elevation that can be adjusted according to convenience of the surgeon in surgical operations such as spaying Hysterectomy, castration, vasectomy, umbilical hernia, scrotal hernia, cryptorchidism etc especially in piglets and dogs. The surgeries require at least three to four persons. Now with the restrainer, after tranquilization and sedation, a single surgeon and an assistant can easily perform surgeries. The restrainer had been in use in the hospital for several years without recognition.
The Small Animal Restrainer was officially launched by Parliamentary Secretary for Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, S Chuba Longkumer on October 19, 2015 at the Veterinary Hospital of Dimapur. The commitment that the restrainer would be used in all the institutes of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department Nagaland was given. Further, its use would be extended to the entire North East of India.
The inventor of the Restrainer, Neizo Chale had on the October 26, 2015 entered into an agreement ad handed over entire ownership rights and patenting rights to the department, except that the device would carry his name ‘Neizo Chale Restrainer.’
