School of Veterinary Medicine College to commence

Accra, April 26, GNA - A School of Veterinary Medicine College to train local veterinary doctors will commence this year under the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences of the University of Ghana. The training, which will be a six-year course, will run just like the courses in the medical school.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in on Thursday in Accra after a press conference to launch the World Veterinary Day, Dr Kwasi Darkwa, Vice President of the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association said the Veterinary Council had completed its documents and presented them to the Academic Board of the University and was waiting for the go ahead.

He explained that all the 250 veterinary doctors in Ghana were trained outside costing the government 50,000 pounds per each student. "The establishment of the local training school will save the government the high cost in training veterinarians abroad." Dr Darkwa noted that the number of veterinarians was dwindling because the retirement and death of the old ones while others are due for retirement.

He said the establishment of the training school would reverse the ever-decreasing manpower resource base of the profession. Dr Enoch Boye-Mensah Koney, President of Association, said the celebration of the Day under the theme: "Celebrating our Diversity" would focus on creating awareness on the highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) caused by the H5N1 strain. He said the public had little knowledge on veterinary services in Ghana and called for the need to educate the public on the diverse and significant roles and responsibilities of the profession in national development.

"Veterinary professionals are working in both upstream and downstream sectors of the economy. Many Ghanaians have the perception that the work of the veterinarian concerns 'injecting animals' only. We do more than that because of the diversity of our professional training. Thus, veterinarians work in human health, agriculture, industry and academia."

Dr Koney explained that the profession was providing effective and efficient delivery of animal health care and ensuring food safety and food security.

Mr Thomas C. Palmer, Senior Policy Officer of Food and Agriculture Organisation, said the veterinary profession was the first line of defence in protecting food supplies of animal origin from contamination. He said the diversity of the profession had provided opportunities to forge links between major global agencies of knowledge, which pursue actions to ensure the well-being of human beings. "Such vital linkages have been captured in the world directory of veterinary schools." The Association called on District Assemblies to enforce their bye-laws on stray animals to deter the public from allowing their stray animals like dogs, cattle, goats and sheep from roaming since rabies was still a problem.

The Association noted that rabies had no cure but could be prevented and urged the public, especially those who had animals to ensure that they were vaccinated against rabies.