Worried about the low number of nonprofessional veterinarians in government service, the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) has asked government to stop giving their services to quacks veterinary doctors.
The National President, NVMA, Dr Toyin Adetunberu, while speaking at the 42nd investiture and NVMA summit, said Nigeria has only 9000 veterinary doctors with only five percent of them in government service.
She noted that there has been dearth of veterinary doctors, because many people don’t know much about the profession, adding that there is need for about three veterinarians per local councils, but unfortunately some states cannot boast of two animal doctors in their state.
The National President said there are no enough veterinary doctors in Nigeria, as some states have just two veterinary doctors when there is suppose to be three per local councils for meat inspection, control and clinical services.
She added that some state governments have just two veterinary doctors in their civil service. “If they want to have Public Private Partnership with the doctors to render service, we are ready to partner with them, but we don’t want them to give our service to quacks.
“The profession as an enviable one, but because we do not advertise, people do not know that veterinary medicine exist. I will encourage many people to go into the profession, as we are involved in public health. 70 percent of human diseases originate from animals and it is the veterinary surgeons that nip the disease in the bud.”
Adetunberu said the association would like to take its place in disease prevention, control and ensure that the populace has safe food to eat. “While they are trying to stamp out quackery from our profession, we want government to partner with them.”
The guest lecturer, Dr Samuel Adeyemi, urged professionals in the field to take proactive measures to curtail the excesses of quacks, urging them to embrace whistle blowing policy.
He said the veterinarians can also put a seal or a stamp that would be attached to their communication products such that whoever sees the seal will know the difference between professionals and quacks.
