Kozhikode: Finally, ABC clinic opens

KOZHIKODE: Revenue minister E. Chandrasekharan inaugurated the veterinary clinic constructed in connection with the implementation of Animal Birth Control project  at Poolakkadavu, here, on Friday.

The project, aimed at reducing the threat from stray dogs through sterilisation, had been hanging fire as the construction and inauguration of the clinic got delayed. Addressing the gathering Mr Chandrasekharan said that those who handle stray dogs should exercise extreme caution as they are dangerous. So far   the state government had sterilized as many as 10,4000 street dogs under the ABC project, he said.

Mayor Thottathil Raveendran welcomed the minister. Corporation executive engineer Muha-mmed Basheer presided over the function. Veterinary College (Mannuthy)  dean C Latha inaugurated a seminar on sterilisation of street dogs and public health.

The functioning of the ABC clinic will be in tune with the Standard Opera-tion Procedure  (SOP) of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). The clinic has a programme manager, anesthetist, four surgeons, five doc catchers, two attenders and a sweeper.

 To avoid pollution an incinerator and waste treatment plant also have been set up in the centre. The stray dogs would be captured by trained dog catchers and would be subjected to sterilisation. After curing the animals would be dropped back to the same spot from where they had captured.

District Collector Seer-am Sambasiva Rao, depu-ty mayor Meera Darshak and corporation standing committee (health) chairperson K.V. Baburaj amo-ng others were present.