(a) whether the country has sufficient veterinary hospitals;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, the action taken by the Government for opening new hospitals and the funds earmarked and released for the purpose, State-wise;
(d) the details of such hospitals with modern equipments for diagnosis and treatment; and
(e) the proposals being made to upgrade all the existing veterinary hospitals in the country?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a)& (b) As per the information available with the Government, there are 10901 veterinary hospitals/ polyclinics and 22402 veterinary dispensaries in the country. The State-wise details of veterinary hospitals/ polyclinics and veterinary dispensaries are at Annexure I. Based on the Livestock Census (2007), India has about 336 million cattle units (one cattle unit equivalent to one large animal or 5 pig or 10 sheep and goats or 100 poultry). At present, there is an overall shortage of veterinary hospitals in the country to cater the need of providing veterinary services in the country.
(c), (d) & (e) The veterinary hospitals/ polyclinics and dispensaries etc. are set up by the Stats Governments / Union Territory administration depending on the livestock population in a particular area and availability of resources. Most of the State/ district level Veterinary polyclinics are generally equipped with modern equipments for diagnosis such as X-ray machine, Sonography machine, Blood analyser (Hematological and Biochemical), Microscope etc. including regular equipments required for treatment of animals.
In order to address the need to set up the new veterinary hospitals/ dispensaries and to strengthen/ equip the existing ones, Government provides financial assistance under the component ‘Establishment and strengthening of existing Veterinary Hospitals & Dispensaries (ESVHD)’ as part of Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Livestock Health and Diseases Control (LH&DC) since August, 2010 on 75:25 basis of cost norms of the scheme between Centre and State except NE States, where grants are provided on 90:10 basis. Details of funds provided to the State Governments/UT administrations during the financial year 2010-11 to 2013-14 are at Annexure II.