Bhopal. It may sound strange, but it is a fact that many expensive dogs and cats of foreign breeds are being treated by their owners at subsidized rates at a veterinary hospital here by showing their BPL card. Veterinarians of this hospital say that they cannot deny treatment to such animals at subsidized rates as their owners show BPL cards, which are duly issued to them by the government authorities.
Between February 26 and March 31 this year, a total of 84 animals, including dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, sheep and lambs, were medically examined and treated in just one shift under the BPL scheme at the State Animal Hospital here. Assistant Veterinary Field Officer Bharat Singh told PTI on Saturday, “The hospital runs in four shifts for the treatment of animals. From February 26 to March 31, owners of 37 dogs, 20 goats, rabbits and rats and 26 other animals and one sheep in the 1 pm to 7 pm shift have availed the concessions by showing BPL cards.
As per the fee table levied at the hospital, Rs 20 is charged for people from above poverty line (APL) who register their dogs for treatment, while no fee is charged from BPL card holders. The X-ray fee for domestic animals owned by APL category people is Rs 150, while it is Rs 30 for BPL card holders. Similarly, the fee for CT scan for animals of APL card holders is Rs 1,600 per animal, while it is only Rs 1,200 for BPL category.
This exemption is also given in performing the operation. APL category people are charged Rs 1,000 for major fracture operation of their domestic animals, while BPL card holders pay only Rs 500 for it. A person belonging to APL category has to pay Rs 50 for getting blood sugar test of his domestic animal, while it is only Rs 30 for BPL card holder.
“Around 500 animals are brought to this hospital daily for treatment, out of which at least 10 animals are brought by BPL card holders,” said Dr. HL Sahu, joint director of the hospital. Another veterinarian from the hospital said that owners of foreign breed dogs like St. Bernards worth at least Rs 40,000 also come to this hospital for treatment of their dogs by showing their BPL cards and get concessions.
“We can’t do anything,” he said. We cannot refuse to treat such expensive dogs and Persian cats imported from abroad at concessional rates, as the people who bring them for treatment have BPL cards duly issued to them by the government authorities. went.” The veterinarian said that the animal patient welfare committee meeting of this hospital will soon consider to bring a proposal to abolish the concession given to BPL card holders for the treatment of their expensive dogs and cats. He said that this is unnecessarily burdening the exchequer and this amount will be saved by abolishing the concession.