Sampang Shortage Of Veterinarians Handling PMK

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

SAMPANG - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food Security (DPKP) of Sampang Regency, Suyono, stated that his institution has not been able to move quickly in dealing with the oral and nail disease (PMK) outbreak, due to a shortage of veterinarians.

"The number of veterinarians in Sampang is only 18 with 23 mantri, while they have to serve 180 villages in 14 sub-districts," he said, quoted by Antara, Thursday, June 23.

Meanwhile, the number of cows owned by residents and breeders in Sampang Regency is more than 217 thousand heads.

The lack of staff from veterinarians and veterinarians in Sampang, said Suyono, caused the service for sick animals to be less than optimal.

"But as long as there are reports from residents accompanied by clear addresses, they will definitely be handled," he explained.

So far, the average officer handles 20 to 30 sick cows with symptoms such as those affected by the FMD outbreak.

Apart from doctors and veterinarians, another obstacle faced by the Sampang Regency Government's DPKP in dealing with residents' cows is the budget.

According to the Head of DPKP Sampang Suyono, the currently available budget is only around Rp. 300 million in unexpected costs.

"We use this to buy medicine, but what is clear is that it will not be enough considering that the sick cows belonging to residents are currently almost felt in all sub-districts," he said.

Moreover, he said, the number of cows affected by the FMD outbreak based on reports from field officers in each sub-district, has now reached more than 3 thousand heads.

Therefore, his party began to coordinate with the Indonesian Veterinary Drug Association (ASOHI) to obtain drugs.