Performance, proficiency, and training need of para-vets in the four states of India

Abstract

In constrained availability of veterinarians and paramount study on the effectiveness of para-veterinary services, assessing the ability of these personnel vis-à-vis role proficiency and performance from stakeholder's perspective could act as impetus in reforming the animal healthcare and animal husbandry extension delivery system in India. The present study was conducted in four districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan respectively. A total of 380 respondents were surveyed, comprising of 160 dairy farmers, 160 para-vets, and 60 veterinarians. Two indices namely, Role Performance Index and Role Proficiency Index were exclusively designed. Based upon the responses, the training need of para-vets were analyzed from the perspective of veterinarians. Accountability for reporting for vaccine failure to higher authority, on-spot health hazard reduction by consulting vets in the uncommon situation and, dissemination of new tools and techniques to farmers (eg. CMT toolkit) were found low by 93.12, 86.62, 91.25% para-vets respectively. Nearly half of para-vets rated their proficiency in the medium category on the role proficiency index, followed by 36.25% in the low category towards the assessed roles. Veterinarians perceived high training needs for quarantine measures (93.33%), fodder production and silage making (88.34%), latest trends in animal breeding, feeding and reproductive management (91.67%), awareness about principles of animal management and disease control (83.34%), sufficient information about rapid test kits (73.33%), and knowledge about new technologies in Animal Husbandry evolved by research institutions (86.67%). Paraveterinary services were most skillful in Hisar district, followed by Jaipur and Ahmadnagar district, and least proficient in Mathura district.