Vets examine themselves

Press, 25 February 1983, Page 20

Vets examine themselves

Cost and other factors had created a real need for veterinarians to diversify their services, the New Zealand Veterinary Association president, Mr Chris Kelly, has said.

He was making an opening address to the 1983 annual conference of the New Zealand Veterinary Association.

The cost of attending a sick farm animal had risen to a point where in some cases farmers were questioning the economic wisdom of individual treatment, Mr Kelly said. “Twenty years ago a veterinarian in private practice might charge a visit and mileage fee of one pound and 10 shillings to a client 10 miles away to attend a cow worth, say, 70 pounds. “Including drug costs, the visit would cost the farmer one-fiftieth of the value of the animal. A visit to the same client today might cost $3O to attend a cow worth $5OO. Thus, the visit and mileage fee is nearer onefifteenth of the cost of the animal.”

Against this background there was a real need for veterinarians to consider diversifying, he said. "The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is attempting to stimulate increased production.with such schemes as controlled grazing systems, emphasising animal breeding programmes and new fertiliser advisory services. I believe the rural practitioner also has some responsibility in this area and should be backing M.A.F. programmes, and developing and expanding local, herd and flock health production programmes.” Changes in the curriculum of veterinary schools could be required to emphasise herd health, epidemiology and preventive medicine, Mr Kelly said. “Perhaps veterinary students desiring to enter food animal commercial practice should take courses in such areas as financial management, farm management, animal production, animal nutrition, experimental design, data processing, economic decision-making.

statistics and business administration.”

Another important area where changes would be advantageous concerned the job expectations of graduates, Mr Kelly said. There was already a downward trend in the number of veterinarians in clinical practice servicing farm animals.

“Whether by conscious or unconscious directing, the majority of graduates however still believe the real action is in the field of practice. “Specific re-education at the undergraduate level might help to correct this misconception." The council of the Veterinary Association also had to change, Mr Kelly said. It was vital for veterinarians’ very survival in some areas to expand their corporate image and develop a higher profile in the eyes of the politicians, other allied organisations and with the public in general. In these times of economic difficulty, this was particularly important, he said.