In India, every 2 seconds someone is bitten by a dog and around 24 people a day suffer an excruciating death from rabies - over half of which are children. This country accounts for over a third of all 61,000 deaths worldwide from this tragic disease.
The WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends mass canine vaccination, animal birth control and community education as the most efficient, most cost-effective and most humane way to save lives from rabies. The problem? The sheer number of roaming dogs in India is intense – and to make a real impact the project needs to reach 2 million of them in just 3 years!
Mission Rabies Mercedes Benz Zetros 6x6 Veterinary Hospital
We know the incredible power of all terrain expedition trucks – and this unique truck project shows the transformative power one mega-vehicle can have.
The unique Mission Rabies all terrain, mobile veterinary surgery truck is a magnificent flagship of our comprehensive ‘One Health’ multi-city project; putting into action mass vaccination, sterilisation of dogs and education for children in world’s hotspot for the disease, India.
To deal with the problem a specialist truck was needed; that could not only handle the conditions of cross country India long-haul drives, but deliver a state of the art surgical environment for canine sterilisation, and training of national vets to deal with rabies sustainably. The Mercedes Benz Zetros 2733A is kitted with world class veterinary surgical equipment so that the project training and practical veterinary surgery is delivered to hotspot areas safely with state of the art solutions.
All terrain, mobile veterinary surgery truck
In 2012 Mercedes Benz Zetros 2733A 6x6 was selected as the vehicle to take the projects’ expert veterinary team across India, over all terrains from dusty dirt tracks to broken city roads. With a 7.2 l six cylinder in-line engine, the most modern in its class delivering 326 bhp power – the truck is enabled with power to run the fully kitted surgical adjustments to the vehicle.
 |
|
The chassis has a reinforced frame, 300-litre steel fuel tank, front and rear stabilisers to give longevity, and ensure the vehicle can deal with even the toughest terrain – and the project has tested it to its maximum! The truck has integrated satellite, tracking and GPS to deal with the remote areas journeyed across to support field based veterinary teams.
What makes the Mission Rabies Expedition Surgical Truck unique is its specialist medical kit – fully armed with one internal and six external operating tables, the truck houses Elkin Digital X-Ray, M-Turbo Sonosite Ultrasound, Oxymat 3 O2 Generator, Integrated anaesthetic and dental units.
The extending self-supporting hydraulic pod, automatic folding floor and fold-down stabilising legs are used as additional space, as are the 2.5m wind-out awning and medical tent for operating workshops, external water supply and generators, lights and full field equipment. The amazing space saving design gives the equivalent of an international standard veterinary hospital on wheels.
Mission Rabies Teaching and Awareness
As a teaching vehicle the Mercedes Benz Zetros 2733A 6x6 is fitted with 55 inch LED Screen on the outside of the truck body linked to cameras in the operating theatre for training and presentations. These adjustments mean the truck is multi-functional, giving the space to train six Indian vet students every month and generates great interest and awareness for rabies wherever it travels.
61,143 vaccinated dogs in one month by Mission Rabies
The truck has been a major part of the Mission Rabies success to date - already smashing a 50,000 mega-vaccination target, reaching 61,143 vaccinated dogs in one month. The overall aim is to meet this mission sustainably in India by gaining 70% vaccination coverage and dog population control, to truly eliminate rabies city by city, area by area and eventually country by country – across the developing world. A core impact of the project is to prove the economic benefit of vaccination control to governments dealing with the burden of costly human treatment, so a major impact of Mission Rabies success is its cost-effectiveness.
We as Expedition Truck Brokers are already on board to save lives in India, supporting a whole month of the journey with a qualified mega-truck driver for one mass vaccination checkpoint in India. This contributes to an amazing impact of 5000 vaccinated dogs and 6 more full trained vets in rabies protection.
Join the journey online now at www.missionrabies.com/donate
|
|