Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UGM has sent 375 students as health examiners of sacrificial animals for Eid-al-Adha Islamic holiday. These students are dispatched to 7.000 points in four regencies and cities of Yogyakarta. The ceremony is performed symbolically with the attachment of laboratory coats and knives to two students by the faculty’s Dean, Prof. Dr. drh. Siti Isrina Oktavia Salasia, on Thursday (8/16) at the school.
Isrina stated the students will be placed in all slaughtering locations in Yogyakarta. They are last year students and co-assistant students of Veterinary Medicine UGM. The faculty also cooperates with students from Biotechnology and Veterinary Department of Vocational School UGM.
“In the field, they will collaborate with the government through related agencies in examining sacrificial animals before and after the slaughtering.”
The Dean told the students that this activity is an implementation of the Three Pillars of Higher Education. According to Isrina, the knowledge gained from their studies can be applied to serve the community by maintaining public health from diseases linked to meat. “It is your duty to make sure that the meat is safe to consume,” she said while appreciating the students who are willing to participate in this annual program before the Eid al-Adha celebration.
Head of Animal Husbandry Division, Agriculture Department Yogyakarta, Ir. Sutarno, expressed his appreciation to Veterinary Medicine UGM which has been actively contributing in helping the government to provide safe and halal animal products. Sutarno pointed out the number of sacrificial animals in Yogyakarta continues to increase every year. Since 2015, the number of cow sacrifice has increased from 16.000 to about 20.000. In 2017, the number reached 19.522, comprising 2 buffaloes, 28.940 goats, and 21.994 sheep. “The slaughtering place is spread to 7.000 points.”
Of the 7.000 slaughter locations, they found at least 6,3 percent or 1.230 cattle infected by Fascioliasis or liver flukes. For goats and sheep, there are around 0,29 percent with the disease. “Most of the cases are found in Kulonprogo,” he said.
One of the examiners, Ananda Dwi Anindita (22), said she has registered for the program since the last two years. The Veterinary Medicine student from batch 2014 recalled she was placed in Sleman Regency last year. She was assigned to check the animals in seven locations. “We started the examination from the beginning and did not find any cases of liver flukes.”