Pets and cattle that came to the city’s biggest veterinary hospital were sent back without any treatment on Sunday as the premises was being used as a polling station.
The City Veterinary Hospital, which is on the premises of the office of the Deputy Director of Department of Animal Husbandry on Dhanvantri Road in Mysore hosted polling station-144.
“As the hospital is an essential service, neither election commission nor government should have asked for it to be closed. Ours is one of the city’s biggest veterinary hospital which remains open even on government holidays and Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm without fail. We do not close it even on Independence Day. I requested the polling officials of Chamaraja Constituency not to close the hospital for polling, but they threatened us with severe consequences. So we were helpless and allowed polling station there,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
Because of he hospital was turned to a polling station, pets and cattle were sent back on Sunday. Most people who brought their are pets to the hospital on Sunday were those who preferred the treatment on Sunday. They bring the pets for artificial insemination, treatment for diarrhoea, wounds, allergy, etc.
Usually, around 30 cases are treated every Sunday and same was put before the authorities concerned but they did not agree for it, sources told Express.
Another vet said when the Election Commission does not engage doctors for polling duty, how can the authorities in Mysore make veterinary hospital a polling station. Also this is the only hospital in the city were emergency cases will be treated as it has operation theatre, inpatient ward, etc, he added.
Chamaraja Constituency Returning Officer PG Ramesh, who is also the Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation, maintained that they have taken only the work place of the hospital and not the clinic. So the animals could be taken inside for treatment.
A booth agent said: “In the morning, a few people came with cattle and pets but police personnel sent them back stating that vet clinic was closed for the day.”
