Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Soon to Launch Ambulance Like Vehicle for Animals

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Odisha is about to launch a huge animal lifting vehicle that will have all the facilities similar to an ambulance. BMC is taking this initiative to assist distressed animals. They aim to provide quick medical assistance to stray animals in need.

Around two months ago, the BMC had launched a helpline number that is dedicated to animal care. The number was shared among the citizens so that they could reach out for help in case they’d come across an injured or sick animal. However, the civic body lacked the facility of a rescue van or an ambulance.

While speaking to the Times of India, BMC’s deputy commissioner, Mr Ramesh Jena stated that the helpline number receives around 30 help calls on a daily basis. They have three teams and each team includes a para vet, a doctor, and an attendant. When they receive a distressed call, they rush to the location and attend to the ailing animal. In case they receive multiple calls at the same time, they try to provide telephonic guidance to people and then reach the location soon after attending to the first case. In some cases, they recommend people to take the animal to the nearest cattle shed.

Mr Ramesh mentioned that once this lifting vehicle is launched, they will be able to treat large animals in the vehicle itself. And, if needed the vehicle can help in taking the animals to the nearest hospital.

Most of the cattle animals in Odisha are domesticated. The owners used to release the animals on the streets for grazing purposes. This led to a rise in the cases of animal road accidents. In order to put a pause on this, in 2018, the BMC increased the penalty amount from INR 500 to INR 1000 on owners if they leave their cattle unattended on the road.