Veterinary science, mostly a male-dominated profession, has experienced a significant change with an increase in the number of women studying at veterinary colleges and practising it across Kashmir.
Dr Rafia Maqbool hailing from Ellahi Bagh is one such example, her father is also a veterinarian. “I always knew that I want to be in this field,” she said.
However, having a passion for research she never expected that she will work in the field.
“My job is to walk the pens every morning. If I see a problem, I catch the sheep and fix the problem as best as I can. Here the patient doesn’t reach you for treatment but you have to reach them whether they are in their sheds, in grazing lands, forests plains or in the marshy lands. Knowing all the ways an animal can suffer and perceiving that through symptoms and providing healthcare is overwhelming,” she explains.
“For anyone who is in Veterinary school, wake up every day, do your best, and when it gets too hard, find that thing that saves you. It’ll be somewhere in your community.”https://ac4a4e3c488b57537d766b5255e3b399.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
“I started way back in 2009 when I joined BVSC and AH in Faculty Of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry SKUAST-K Shuhama after that topped the university entrance test in 2014 and joined Masters in Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology.”
“In Masters, I worked on Ranikhet disease which fetched many publications and awards at national and international conferences.”
After that, she joined the doctoral programme but in the meantime also got selected through JKPSC as Veterinary Surgeon in Department of Sheep Husbandry Kashmir in 2019 presently posted in Ganderbal”, she added.
“Initial ignorance of the people about the deliverance of vet healthcare by females is slowly giving hope to the breeders that female vets are more cooperative, enthusiastic and empathetic about providing health care to the sick animal.”
“Our patient doesn’t express the symptoms and pain but we have to perceive infection and non-infection nature of the disease. Doing surgeries in the fields c section, managing dystokia and managing metabolic disorders in the field is challenging,” Rafia further added.
Her message to the young generation is, “Vet science has got a tremendous scope in our state, country and abroad for improving livestock healthcare and economic state of people. It improves population by augmenting both qualitatively and quantitatively and ensuring safe food for human consumption.”
Treating speechless creatures gives her satisfaction. “It’s not only we save animals we save the economy of farmers,” concludes a visibly happy Rafia.
Dr Aasima Hameed, working as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon in SHD. Currently holding charge of 2 Sheep Development Blocks- Kangan and Naranag, which include the majority of the ST population of the district.
” I have pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Sciences from SKUAST-K.
Dr Fiza Bhat said “I am currently posted as Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at Sheep Husbandry Department, Ganderbal. Being a veterinarian comes with unique challenges.”
“One of the biggest challenges for me has been being a woman in a historically predominantly male field. Although the number of women in the veterinary field has surpassed that of men, being a female vet has never been easy in this society. Since I was appointed, I have faced many challenges in this field. But by the grace of Almighty, I was able to overcome them.”
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