Veterinarian Response to COVID-19 Crisis

Novel corona virus emerged in human population has origin from China spreading very fast and emerged as a threat for the people all around the globe. It has creating havoc and panic in human society. The disease causing virus is from animal origin. Veterinarian plays a key role in the control of zoonotic diseases and they are integral part of one health concept. They play a role in food security, controlling present pandemic condition and preventing future pandemics that are originating from animals. Now recently emerging diseases about 61% of human pathogens are about zoonotic origin, so veterinarian play an important role in the control of pandemic situation.

Veterinary department allied sector to agriculture department. Many of the farmer and unemployment youth have a hope for entering this sector for their livelihood. Covid-19 one of the emerged disease across the globe. In India, COVID outbreak and pandemic condition occurs nowadays also. The youth with education became unemployment due to shut down of many small companies due to COVID pandemic. Veterinarian and veterinary extension activities play a major role to create awareness and creation of employment generation and income generating animal husbandry activities in this condition. Youth and private sector employees were  economic loss  during this situation so the farming of different animals such as sheep and goat, backyard poultry, dairy farming etc gives economic support to the unemployed or job lost persons. Many young youth became entrepreneur during this lockdown condition by adopting different marketing and farming approach. The other conditions during COVID is lockdown, many people went to depression at this situation especially in metropolitan area. They found the pet animal as companion animals as well as anti-depressants and rearing many pet animals with the advice of Veterinarian. The routine work of Veterinarian treatment, vaccination, deworming etc was done in critical condition of COVID. Some conditions where Veterinarian played an important role during this pandemic COVID situation. Veterinarian worked the routine work along with some of the work under COVID duty. Many Veterinarians done special duty in COVID care center. Some of the Veterinarians done in master and PhD, they done many work in sample collection, examination and monitoring of testing procedures including the announcement COVID  of results.  Some of Veterinarian especially scientists work for research work for preventing COVID. Some of the vets work on COVID duty such as screening, sample collection, supervisor of COVID care center, monitor of many patients , phone contact to the patient which were in rural area coming from other state.

Why veterinarians service is need of the hour in COVID 19 pandemic period

Starting from COVID 19 sample collection, COVID centers operation, COVID nodal officer works, to promote the health of animals, to promote the employment in rural areas, to optimize the production from animals in rural areas, to create the awareness about COVID 19 and to reduce the panic and mental illness in rural people who have more affection towards veterinarian. To promote the farm activities and market for the animal husbandry products veterinarian service is very much essential so Govt declared veterinary service as essential service without giving minimum basic facilities to veterinarians like vehicles etc.

Veterinarian contribution during covid -19 pandemic in rural part of India

1. Veterinarian worked hard during the lock down period for the animal health and welfare by attending emergency cases and also for routine activities like deworming, vaccination, castration, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis and operative procedures.
2. Veterinarian worked in rural areas with their own vehicles in critical condition of lock down with appropriate letters of permission from higher authorities for the health care of animals.
3. Veterinarians given advice and preventive measures to the farmers and rural people about Covid-19 during their routine work on animal health and welfare.
4. During COVID-19 veterinarians worked to maintain and optimization of productive animals during lockdown period by following COVID-19 guidelines.
5. Veterinarian followed and awareness about the preventive measures of COVID 19 like usage of mask, social distance and COVID -19 guidelines in rural area and they have became role model for farmers and rural people.
6. Veterinarian with specialization worked as COVID worriers as COVID testing in charge officials, COVID -19 nodal officers, COVID centers in charges including sample collection work, monitoring COVID care center in COVID emergency situation of the country.
7. Veterinarian worked as a nodal office for various activities related to covid-19 from village level to up to state level for the benefit of human society
8. Veterinarian worked in shifts in inter-district check post, inter-state check posts, Covid testing centers and Covid health care center as a supervision and executive authority as per the order of Government in Covid emergency.
9. Veterinarian given various speech, awareness programme and written articles and bulletin about animal health, care to be taken to avoid animals getting Covid-19 infection and various preventive measures.
10. Veterinarian also worked via cell phones as tele medication experts for pets and large animal minor health issues, health care and animal welfare for the demand of farmers and pet owners in metro cities during lockdown.
11. Vets treated emergencies like dystokia and major health issues in animals where the animal owner suffering with COVID, with the COVID 19 guidelines, by wearing PPE kits for the betterment of health and welfare of animals and farmers.
12. Veterinary laboratories are used for the testing of Covid 19 for human patients including staff and scientists.

Veterinarian role in rural economical development during COVID 19 pandemic

After covid enters in India, the 23 March 2020, suddenly lockdown  declaration most of city resided village people return back to their native. Most of them were now unemployed. Most of them want to create their employment in villages itself. During this period most of village people shown interest in animal husbandry activities like poultry farming, sheep and goat farming, dairy farming , calf rearing with and without agriculture. In that situations veterinarian guided for them for the employment and income generation in animal husbandry. During this period most of people converted to animal husbandry farmers in villages. During this period some of veterinarians wrote various articles on importance of animal husbandry for the employment generation and income generation activity for the rural unemployed youth and attended Radio talk on animal health care and farming activities Now among those farmers, some of farmers running  animal husbandry activities and getting good income in village level. Farmers also responded well to veterinarian during various new farming activities and following new marketing techniques with the guidance of veterinarians.

Challenges faced by veterinarians in COVID 19 lockdown period

Veterinarians faced lot of challenges including Struggle for the permission letters for duty, no public transport, no medicines, no food, no staff and staff with old age not attended duty as per COVID guidelines, more stress due to adverse hot  climate, village level barriers done by villagers, more emergencies, challenge of diseases out breaks like Parvo viral gastro-enteritis in canines, Lumpy skin disease outbreaks in bovines, haemoprotozoal disease outbreaks in cattle, summer stress in poultry, targets from higher ups, COVID nodal officer duty, sudden declaration of Government as Veterinary service is essential service, vehicle fuel scarcity, no proper food, family responsibilities. So finally due to more stress some of vets end up with COVID positive and they isolated from work place, home and family. They took treatment and worked from home and from phone like tele medication executive. Unfortunately some veterinarians lost their life in that period. Some veterinarians faced severe family problems due to COVID 19 related isolation and quarantine practice by vets due to some flu like symptoms and as a primary contact of suspected patients.

Conclusion

Veterinarians faced lot of difficulties initially, gradually they supported the jobless youth and persons in guiding the new job event in terms of animals farming activity in their own locality. They attended more webinars organized by various international, national, State associations, pharmaceutical companies and related Non Government associations and they have upgraded their technical knowledge. They became experts and resource persons for various online trainings for vets, para vets and farmers. They supported for the animal health care, emergencies, new farming events, training programme, COVID related works as nodal officers and they have created awareness about COVID 19 to rural people. Now they also creating awareness regarding COVID vaccination in rural areas. Unfortunately our society failed to recognize veterinarians as COVID warriors but the truth is veterinarian worked in COVID 19 period more than the COVID worriers. Veterinarians are unsung hero’s in COVID 19. At least Veterinarian associations, Government employees association and NGO,s should recognize the dedication and sacrifice for the society.

Reference

1. Wikipedia
2. How Public Health Veterinarians can Respond to Covid-19 Emergency. Maurizio Ferri, Vice-President of Union of European Veterinary Hygienists (UEVH)