AJMAN // A mobile veterinary clinic is to launch within weeks to care for the emirate’s sick animals, big and small.

The service will treat pets at people’s homes and livestock on farms.

“A mobile veterinary clinic would ensure rapid intervention in veterinary emergencies throughout the emirate,” said Abdullah Al Tamimi, acting director general of public health and environment at Ajman Municipality and Planning Directorate.

Mr Al Tamimi said the mobile clinic would be equipped with veterinary medicines and all the tools needed to prevent and control the spread of diseases.

“The clinic would also have a veterinary laboratory and a refrigerator where vaccines and water could be stored,” he said. “A water tank of about 50 litres would also be installed and it will also have a microscope.”

Dr Naeem Hussein, the director of the veterinary department at Ajman Municipality, said the necessary funds for the clinic were already in place.

“We expect to have the mobile clinic fully functioning in about a month’s time,” he said.

The idea of a mobile vet was welcomed by pet owners in the emirate, who have to take their animals to private veterinary clinics in Sharjah and Dubai.

“I had to carry my cat to the Dubai Zabeel veterinary hospital in April as there was nowhere to have it treated in Ajman,” said Ayyad Nassir, who lives in Rashidiya.

The clinic will also meet the needs of farm owners.

It will be able to carry out lab tests while in the field and diagnose the most common livestock diseases, such as those related to the skin and intestines as well as blood parasites. It will then be able to quickly prescribe a treatment.

At present the municipality handles most of the emirate’s animal health cases at the Public Health and Environment department.

Mr Al Tamimi said the department was working to control the spread of diseases between animals and humans, including brucellosis, rabies and bird flu.

Once the mobile clinic is operational, it will be used to carry out a livestock census and will issue health certificates to farms and homes. The census will also help with the planning of immunisations programmes, Mr Al Tamimi said.

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