Popular NGO's animal hospital breathing its last

Raakhi Jagga Tags : ngo, animals Posted: Saturday , May 01, 2010 at 2323 hrs
 Khawjke (Ludhiana):

The Jeev Kalyan Hospital, run by popular NGO People for Animals (PFA) in village Khwajke, nearly 25 km from Ludhiana, resembles a junkyard more than a hospital. The NGO has Maneka Gandhi as its chairman and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) gives them grants in lakhs on an annual basis. The Ludhiana hospital, too, gets those grants as per the bills presented by them.

But no one can say where all that money goes. The hospital, spread over 3,600 square yards, was started in 2004. The land was given by the government free of cost while construction was done through funds of Animal Welfare Board and voluntary donations.

The Newsline team was shocked to see the condition of the hospital, which seemed like it had never been used. Above all, animals were found chained and locked in enclosures (which is against the PFA rules) and most of them were hungry till noon. The care takers reasoned that the food came from the PFA Ludhiana office and that is why it took so long

The only doctor in the hospital, Sukhwinder Singh, had gone home for a few days, according to the care taker Teja Singh, who gives 24-hours duty in the hospital and lives with his family in one-room apartment within the hospital.

A dog, which had come three days ago and died for want of treatment, was not even picked up form the dirty operation theatre. The body was removed only after the Newsline team complained. Singh said, "The doctor and I met with an accident and that is why he had to go back home. The dog died last night and we had given him proper treatment. I could not pick it because I am also sick."

On the first floor, in the bird hospital, 10 pigeons were found locked in an enclosure. Lakhwinder Singh, who was supposed to treat the animals in absence of the doctor, does not even have a degree in veterinary sciences. He said, "I have done D Pharmacy."

Singh, however, was reluctant even to touch the sick dog. He said, "The pegions have Ranikhet disease and that is why they have been kept in enclosure." The enclosure did not have any food or water.

Fighting to survive
City residents had donated a few coolers to the hospital for the animals but they were found dumped in different rooms. A van, an autorickshaw and a cab, meant to pick animals, were lying in faulty state and the management had not employed any driver for them.

Animal Welfare Board's Secretary Raj Shekar confirmed that regular grants were being given to the hospital. He said, "If such is the case, we will take strict action against them. They are not supposed to torture animals like this. An inquiry will be conducted."

The PFA Ludhiana branch has not received any grant from the AWBI for the last four years. PFA president Ajay Jain Ludhiana, however, said, "We are short of staff these days. The van driver left the job nearly 15 days ago while the doctor met with an accident. Otherwise, everything was going fine. At the moment, the hospital is being run on voluntary donations and we are not getting any grant. The daily feed of the animals has been sponsored by an industrialist. Still, I will try to improve things further."

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