In a significant move for animal welfare and public health, the coastal state of Goa is set to receive a major upgrade in its veterinary infrastructure. The UK-based international organisation, Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS), has formally proposed the establishment of a cutting-edge veterinary and Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in the state.
A Fully-Funded Initiative for Goa
The ambitious project involves WVS constructing a modern veterinary facility on land to be provided by the Goa government. Crucially, the entire venture comes at no cost to the state exchequer. WVS will fully fund, build, equip, and operate the centre, committing to run it for a minimum of 20 years.
Welcoming the proposal, Goa's Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Nilkanth Harlankar, highlighted the state's progressive stance. "We are the first state to be rabies controlled, and need to move ahead in this direction," Harlankar stated, underscoring the initiative's alignment with Goa's existing public health goals.
Facility Designed for Scale and Training
The proposed centre is designed to be a comprehensive hub. Its core will be a surgical complex capable of large-scale ABC and rabies control operations. According to Dr. Murugan Appupillai, Director of Education at Mission Rabies, this new infrastructure is engineered to more than double the output of the current facility.
"The proposed centre is designed to more than double the output of the existing facility, with the capacity to sterilise over 15,000 dogs annually in a humane and sustainable manner," Dr. Appupillai explained.
Beyond surgery, the campus will be a centre of excellence for education and research. The planned infrastructure includes:
- Dedicated training classrooms and laboratories.
- Lecture halls with audiovisual support.
- Specialised dog kennels and recovery areas.
- A quarantine unit for effective disease control.
- Staff accommodation to attract skilled professionals.
- A conference facility and visiting expert quarters for national and international workshops.
National Impact and Rabies Elimination Goals
The objectives of the WVS Goa centre extend far beyond the state's borders. It aims to establish the most advanced ABC and rabies control hub in India. A key focus will be on capacity building, with plans to train more than 400 veterinarians and paravets each year.
This initiative is a strategic step towards supporting India's national rabies elimination mission. The centre will employ data-driven strategies for mass vaccination and public education, creating a replicable model for other states. By combining high-volume, humane animal population management with advanced training and research, the Goa centre promises to be a landmark project in India's animal welfare and public health landscape.
