CM launches Rs2.6 billion livestock health programme in KP

PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday inaugurated the Rs2.6 billion Ehsaas-e-Bezubaan Sehat Gaari programme, aimed at improving veterinary services, supporting livestock farmers and strengthening the rural economy.
According to a briefing by the Livestock Department, the programme comprises 145 mobile veterinary clinics and 27 mobile laboratory units, with 202 veterinary doctors and assistants deployed for the initiative.
The mobile clinics will provide vaccination, diagnostic, treatment and emergency veterinary services at the tehsil level, with a focus on remote and underserved areas. The department said the mobile veterinary network would be linked to a central digital dashboard to facilitate monitoring, oversight and operational management.
The programme also includes mobile laboratories for milk-quality testing. The facilities will allow on-site testing to detect adulteration and harmful contaminants and are intended to strengthen monitoring of milk quality across the province.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Afridi said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that livestock farmers were not denied access to veterinary services because of their geographical location.
He said protecting livestock from disease, inadequate care and limited access to veterinary facilities was a shared responsibility, adding that the programme would focus on both treatment and disease prevention to improve livestock productivity.
The chief minister said livestock was an important source of income, nutrition and financial security for millions of families in the province. He added that modern veterinary services were being brought closer to farmers so they would not have to travel long distances to obtain treatment for their animals.
He said efforts were also under way to modernise the livestock sector and create better income opportunities for farming families.
Mr Afridi said the mobile milk-testing laboratories would help strengthen quality monitoring and facilitate the timely detection of adulteration and harmful contaminants.
“Healthy livestock will contribute to higher productivity and increased incomes for farming families,” he said.
The chief minister said the government’s objective was to strengthen the rural economy, improve livestock health, support farmers and ensure access to safe and quality food across the province.