New avenues for veterinary quackery and Solution
This column of Dr. Muhammad Jassar Aftab highlights the various aspects of veterinary quackery, paravets practice and veterinary employment issues of Pakistan
Just as the practice of human doctors in the medical profession has taken root in the system, the roots of veterinary quackery in animal treatment are also very strong. So strong that if the veterinary practice of private vets and non-professionals is banned today, Pakistan’s veterinary service delivery system will collapse. It cannot be stopped and any kind of adventure can also cause great damage; however, matters can definitely be controlled strategically and then improvements can be made over time by ensuring further legislation and phased implementation. The responsibility lies primarily with the provincial governments.
A Recent Training Course Once Again Highlighted the Issue of Veterinary Quackery
Recently, an advertisement for a training course lasting a few weeks was issued by an organization. It was soon realized and the name of this training course was changed to Dairy Farm Manager. The institution also faced criticism on social media and the Young Veterinary Doctors Association also objected to it.
Veterinary Quackery Is a National Issue
The problem is not just of an institution or course but of a national nature, which requires serious steps at the federal level to solve. Various courses of different duration are being conducted in various institutions of Pakistan under the names of Veterinary Assistant, Stock Assistant, Livestock Assistant, Dairy Supervisor, Poultry Supervisor, AI Technician, Livestock Extension Worker and others to assist professionals related to veterinary and animal sciences.
In one province, a two-year course of Livestock Assistant is also being conducted under the same name in the same institution and also of three years. Various short courses are also being introduced under the Kamyab Jawan Program, which aims to make the youth skilled in the field of animal treatment and care through skill development and enable them to find employment.
ڈگریوں کا طوفان، ویٹرنری بے روزگاری اور ویٹرنری عطائیت
How Short Courses Contribute to Veterinary Quackery
A person has done a course of dairy supervisor or has received training in artificial insemination, his diploma is of six months or three years. Anyone who spends a few weeks or a few months in a veterinary educational or training institution considers himself a veterinarian after completing the course and on the other hand, the animal owners also recognize him as a doctor. All the people who do such different courses are ultimately associated with veterinary practice. Even in the practice of domestic animals, various aides and non-professionals are working.
Since there are opportunities for those who work in this way and it is also a good source of employment, there is attraction in this sector, especially in rural areas. The surprising aspect is that such courses are also conducted by private institutions by paying heavy fees and this is also a good business for private educational institutions.
Risks of Uncontrolled Veterinary Quackery
If this continues, it will not only open up more avenues for veterinary fraud but will also affect the reputation of the veterinary profession and veterinary professionals as a whole. On the other hand, if animals continue to fall into the hands of fraudsters in this way, it will lead to the destruction of livestock as well as national-level economic problems.
Changing Circumstances in Veterinary Profession
In the past, the number of veterinary educational institutions was small and in this context, a limited number of veterinary doctors graduated every year. Most of them would turn to private institutions; of those who got government jobs, a few were engaged in livestock practice. On the other hand, traditionally, a large number of veterinary assistants were associated with veterinary practice.
With changing circumstances, things have also changed and now problems are also being faced. Thousands of veterinary doctors are graduating from various veterinary educational institutions every year. In comparison, the number of private jobs is limited while the number of government jobs is negligible. Now a large number of qualified veterinary doctors are taking up direct animal treatment as a profession at various levels. These youth sometimes face resistance in the field.
Sometimes this resistance also takes a systematic form, due to which the newcomers have to bear severe pressure. On the other hand, there are also a large number of institutions conducting various courses, from which semi-professionals and non-professionals are being produced every year. The situation will take a serious shape in the coming days.
National Regulation to Control Veterinary Quackery
The solution is only seriousness and its need is also at the federal level. Various courses of three months, six months and a few weeks duration should be abolished. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research should introduce a course of uniform duration for all provinces in collaboration with provincial institutions and in consultation with experts.
There should be only one diploma of veterinary assistant with uniform duration and uniform syllabus for the whole of Pakistan. These veterinary assistants should assist in veterinary practice as well as in dairy farm management, poultry farm management and other fields. Two-month sub-courses can be introduced for specific training of these veterinary assistants. For example, if a veterinary assistant wants to learn more in the field of poultry or dairy, he should do a two-month additional course of poultry supervisor or dairy supervisor, or if he wants to learn more in artificial insemination, he should do a related sub-course.
Requirement to Strengthen Regulation
With a course of uniform duration and uniform syllabus, the number of admissions to private veterinary institutions and these institutions should be limited. After the necessary legal amendments for monitoring this course at the federal government level, the Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council can be reconstituted. On the other hand, an institution on the lines of the Healthcare Commission can also be formed to monitor veterinary practice in the field. If this problem, which is spreading like wildfire, is not controlled, then the most serious problems will have to be faced.
