Animal care: Don't fret over your sick pet, take it to the vet

Richmond Crawford Veterinary Hospital, Karachi has been upgraded.

KARACHI: If you have a pet that you love and simply cannot see in any form of unease, you needn't worry about their health anymore because the Richmond Crawford Veterinary Hospital, Karachi, has now been upgraded to handle all their medical needs.

Not only will the hospital now have specialist veterinarians and staff, it will also remain open round-the-clock, which is a first since it was established on May18, 1880. The two state-of-the-art ultrasound machines and the x-ray machine that have been added to the inventory will help the doctors diagnose and treat the animals brought to the centre.

Built on main MA Jinnah Road by Richard Crawford, the then commissioner of Sindh, who was known for his fondness for animals, the hospital has seen its share of neglect and apathy until recently, when the provincial minister for livestock and fisheries, Jam Khan Shoro, visited the hospital twice in one day.

According to the older staff members at the facility, it used to open a few hours in the morning and then in the evening. "Gradually, people forgot that such a facility even existed," said one of the staff members. "The indoor facility has been restored after a long time," said Dr Abdullah Sethar, the project director of the Sindh Livestock department, who has been assigned the task to upgrade the facility.

An official register is being maintained and according to the records, over 50 animals were treated at the hospital per day over the last week. "It is catching on very quickly," said the in-charge, Dr Chandur Kumar. He added that the hospital charges only Rs2 for small animals and birds and Rs5 for larger ones.

"We performed two ultrasounds for the first time on Thursday," said Dr Kumar, adding that all kinds of patients [animals and birds] were being treated at the hospital, such as goats, sheep, dog, cat, parrot, hens, buffalos and cows. "We have the ability to cater to any kind of animal or bird." For now, four specialist veterinarians as well as two highly experienced doctors of birds have been posted within a week. "The most experienced and dedicated doctors are being posted to the hospital," said Shoro. "We will make it a state-of-the-art facility," he added.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shoro said that an ambulance service will also be started so that more people can avail the facility. "People will soon be able to contact the hospital staff via phones and internet facility."

Gulsher Lashari, a resident of Clifton, had brought his sick goat to the facility. "It is not easy to find a good vet in the city," he complained. "The treatment and surgeries in complicated cases are very costly." The hospital register indicates that patients come from all parts of the city, including Defence Housing Authority, Clifton, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Karachi, Nazimabad, Sohrab Goth, Keamari and Shah Faisal Colony.

Relieving a Persian cat of its misery in less than 15 minutes, Dr Jay Dev said that the cost of the particular procedure was at least Rs5,000. "The owner just spent Rs5 and the animal was discharged within a few minutes."

The upgraded facility will be officially inaugurated today (Tuesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2015.