Veterinary Council confirms there is no merit in vet collusion claims on North Coast

Unsubstantiated claims of collusion to prevent more veterinarian practices from opening in the region without the approval of the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) are not true.

This amid a shortage of vets countrywide and on the North Coast in particular, which could lead to a crisis for pet owners.

Ballito Vet Hospital co-owner, Dr Kevin Stevens, says any qualified vet can open a practice.

“The only thing that dictates vet practice placements is market forces and whether the vet is qualified. Any claims of collusion to exclude new practices are simply not true.”

This was confirmed by the director of registrations at the SAVC, Mpho Mojanaga.

“The SAVC does not impose restrictions on the area in which a veterinarian may operate, nor does it take into consideration the population or the number of clinics within a specific area.

“Veterinarians may open a clinic in any area of choice, provided they have registered the practice with SAVC and comply with the minimum standards of a veterinary clinic as determined by the council,” he said.

ALSO READ: Vet shortage ends Ballito and Salt Rock emergency service

Much has been made in recent months of the decision by Ballito and Salt Rock vets to end their longstanding 24-hour emergency service.

A petition on change.org was formed, pleading with the SAVC to allow vets who will practice after hours to open in Ballito. So far, 939 signatures have been obtained.

The petition states that to reach an emergency service, North Coast residents will have to travel to Tongaat, Glenashley or Westville.

“Other than this being inconvenient and expensive in terms of fuel costs, it also presents the risk that pets needing urgent medical attention will not receive this as there is at least a 30-minute drive involved. Inevitably some of our animals will die as a result,” the petition reads.

“The petition has merit, but the reality is that it is not feasible considering the current countrywide vet shortage,” said Stevens.

The shortage is attributed to the high number of vets emigrating because their qualifications are accepted in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for example.

“We did not take the decision to end emergency services lightly, considering we have been in the area for 35 years.”

“We have been running advertisements for an overnight vet for the past two years, but no one suitable has reached out to us. If there was someone willing and qualified, we would hire them,” he said.

“Even with a roster system between the four vets in Ballito and Salt Rock, there is just too much work to take on,”

The Ballito Vet is open every day of the year besides Christmas Day, including public holidays, which Stevens said is as much compromise as they are able to make while still maintaining their sanity.

The SAVC further confirmed that there was no legislation that could force a veterinary practice to operate 24 hour emergency services.