Staff shortage hits work at Phagwara vet hospitals

At a time when the stray dog population in Phagwara has reportedly crossed 4,000, the very institutions responsible for managing animal health and sterilisation are struggling to function. Government veterinary hospitals and dispensaries across the region are operating under severe staff constraints, with critical vacancies in both medical and support staff and a glaring lack of infrastructure.

The Tribune has learnt that there are 21 government-run veterinary institutions in Phagwara region, 11 hospitals and 10 dispensaries, but nearly 60 per cent of the sanctioned veterinary doctor posts remain unfilled.

Of the 11 hospitals, six, including those in Phagwara city, Mauli, Panchhat, Rihana-Jattan, Chak-Prema and Khajurala, are running without full-time veterinary doctors. In the case of rural dispensaries, the situation is equally dire: Six out of 10 located in villages such as Domeli, Palahai, Bhogpur, Rampur Sunrra, and Nangal Majha have no veterinary officer on duty.

Shockingly, not a single Class IV employee is posted at any of these 21 hospitals and dispensaries. This means that the essential day-to-day tasks like cleaning, feeding, instrument sterilisation, record keeping and handling animals are either ignored or fall on the shoulders of the already overburdened medical staff. According to senior veterinary officer Khushi Kumar, this lack of support renders many of the centres nearly non-operational, despite an average monthly OPD attendance of more than 350 animals, including dogs, cats, cows and other livestock.

The crisis extends beyond staffing. Efforts to implement the animal birth control programme in Phagwara are being hampered by the absence of even basic surgical infrastructure. Senior veterinary officials have submitted detailed requirements to the municipal corporation for the establishment of a functional sterilisation unit. The list includes preparation rooms with cupboards for surgical kits and medicines, weighing machines, autoclaves for sterilisation and proper ventilation and lighting.

Also required are fully equipped operation theatres with surgical tables, shadow-less lights, sterilised instrument trays, emergency medicine kits, air conditioning and proper surgical waste management systems. However, these essential facilities remain unavailable due to delay in inter-department coordination and lack of administrative will.

Veterinary experts caution that without immediate attention, the city risks not only an unmanageable growth in stray animal population, but also a rise in zoonotic diseases like rabies. The lack of sterilisation surgeries and veterinary care is resulting in streets overcrowded with stray dogs, increasing the chances of dog bites and animal suffering.

Animal welfare activists and public health advocates are now urging the state government and local administration to address the situation with urgency. They have demanded immediate appointment of veterinary doctors, recruitment of essential support staff and funding for long-overdue infrastructure development. Unless these steps are taken without further delay, veterinary hospitals in Phagwara will remain in a state of dysfunction — unable to meet the basic healthcare needs of animals or contribute meaningfully to public safety.

Jalandhar